Little Sisters
by IdeaGirl793
Summary: A rewritten version of Inuyasha, a revised version of my story "Protecting Me". For little Kaori life couldnt be better. She had two older sisters, a hanyo for a best friend, but when a tragic event ends her sister's life, her world is changed forever.
1. Down The Well

A/N ~ (08-05-10): Blek revised again for the thousandth time. But welcome new readers! This story is merely just a remake of the series but I do suggest you read it. People seem to like this version. Also make sure to read these little author notes and review. These little rambles are sometimes full of semi-important facts and things like that, also it'll update you on if I've changed something in past chapters or not (I'm very picky). I do like revising my stories a lot, and this is proof, and I do tend to rush the normal chapters as you may notice later on. I'm getting to fixing this. So please bear with me. Thank you and enjoy!

* * *

**You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.**

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I Do Not Own Inuyasha

* * *

1. Down The Well

Kaori's small hands snatched the woven pant leg of Kikyo's kimono. Tears streamed down her small face and she desperately pulled with all her might, begging her sister not to shoot the arrow.

The village was in terror. Women held their children to their breasts as they raced from burning huts. Spooked horses stampeded out of the village, no longer restrained inside a stable. Men with their weapons; spears, swords, axes gripped tightly in blistered hands rushed toward the miko and her sister, ready to fight on her orders.

The cause of this destruction, a young hanyo, leaped over the crowd, clutching in his clawed hands a glowing pink jewel.

Kikyo's eyes narrowed and she pulled the string back on her bow. Kaori screamed in horror, and she let the arrow fly. The hanyo's keen hearing picked up on the _twang _and he backed against the Sacred Tree, spinning around to face whatever was coming.. The arrow pierced his heart and secured him against the bark. He gasped as the air was pushed from his lungs and the jewel dropped from his hand.

Kaori gasped, tears gushed down her face and she shoved past her sister. She raced down the stone steps leading toward the Goshinboku, the Sacred Tree, and clung to the hanyo's leg.

"Inuyasha-Onii-Chan!" she shouted, as the boy's eyes slowly closed, "Nii-Chan, wake up! Wake up Inuyasha-Onii-Chan! You can't be.. You've gotta wake up!" The girl buried her face into his kimono, the tears refusing to stop. They were supposed to love each other, she thought, they were supposed to live happily ever after! Why did this happen?

Kikyo's wounded heart sank as she watched her younger sister cry for the loss of this wretched creature. This creature who had betrayed her, almost killed them all, and had stolen the Shikon No Tama for his own selfish reasons.. She wondered how Kaori could still shed tears for this man.. He was not worth it..

She slowly made her way down the steps, limping from the numerous injuries she had received in this battle. She must talk some sense into this child.. She should no longer.. feel this pain.. over such an abomination..

She fell to her knees feet from the girl, the pain no longer bearable. She felt the hot, sticky blood soaking through her kimono and exhaled. She didn't have much time left..

Something small bumped against her leg and she turned her head. "Shikon No Tama..." she breathed, picking up the small jewel, "because of such a thing..."

"Onee-sama!" A small girl, fell to her knees in front of Kikyo, clutching the woman's arm. "Onee-sama! Quickly! Get treatment!" she begged, staring wide-eyed and scared, though one of her eyes had been tightly bandaged.

"It's already to late for me.." Kikyo breathed, dropping the Shikon No Tama into the young girl's hands, "So, listen carefully, Kaede.. Take this and give it to Kaori but do not tell her -any of you- of the cause that resulted in this tragic event.. She does not need to know.. Last night I was shown a place in my dreams that only she could travel.."

"No! Onii-chan! Nii-cha- Let me go you bastards! Inuyasha-onii-chan!"

Kikyo turned her gaze toward her youngest sister. Three villagers gripped tightly onto the struggling girl, trying to pry her away from the evil hanyo who had destroyed their village.. but Kaori was strong as was her grip on his kimono and she refused to let go.

Kikyo turned away, feeling her heart give a painful lurch. "Kaede.. If you send Kaori down the well.. then she'll be safe in a place where there are no yokai to come after the jewel.. Do you understand?"

Kaede blinked as a small tear trickled down her face and clutched the jewel to her chest. "Yes, Onee-sama.."

* * *

-550 Years Later-

(September 12th 2008)

"Kaori! Wake up! It's time for school!"

My fist came down hard on the blaring alarm clock, causing it to fly off the nightstand. I rolled onto my back and stretched, letting out a long relaxing yawn. "I'm up!"

"Happy birthday, Kaori!"

I groaned and hid under my blankets as my sister burst through the door and leaped onto my bed. "Good morning, Kagome.."

"What are you doing in bed still? You should be excited!" She yanked the covers off my body and skipped to the window, pulling back the curtains and opening the windows. "It's your birthday! You're 16 now!"

"Yes, I'm aware of that, Kagome.." I sat up and stretched again. Of course I was aware that today was my birthday. Exactly 10 years ago today I was found at the bottom of the Bone Eatter's Well by Mr. Higurashi, Kagome's father. Exactly 10 years ago today, my sister, Kikyo, died and ordered that I be thrown down that well into another world. So the villagers did and I ended up here.

Though upon my arrival my new family didn't believe my story. They thought that maybe I had been kidnapped and left there to die. I hadn't been, no one came to claim me after they called the police. So they turned to abandonment and I was adopted by the Higurashi's after they found it was impossible to locate any birth records or information. Supposedly I had fallen and hit my head, my 'memories' were false, a dream, and I was lucky to have been found by such a loving family. But I knew these memories weren't false.. it really happened. I was sure of it..

Kagome came back to me and took my face in her hands. "Good luck today!"

"With what!" I shouted, as she took off out the door.

She giggled, "You'll see."

"Ugh.."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

"No I will absolutely not go on a date with Hojo! This is the worst present ever!" I shouted, stabbing a piece of omelet and shoving it into my face, "What in the world gave you the idea that I wanted to?"

Kagome huffed, putting her hands on her hips, "I know you want to, he's kind, generous, smart, absolutely adorable, and is interested in you! Also his family owns that pharmacy down the street so you _know _he's well off!"

I rolled my eyes, "If you think he's so great why don't _you _date him then?"

Her face went red and I smirked, "That's.. that's out of the question! Besides you two would make an adorable couple! You both have light brown hair and blue and green eyes look amazing together!"

"Sorry, my green eyes are not attracted to his blue," I muttered.

Kagome sighed and sat down, staring at me intently, "Then what eyes are you attracted to?"

I picked up my glass as my finger traced the lines in the table, I felt our fat cat Buyo brush against my legs and sighed.._Nii-Chan, wake up!_"Amber.."

"Amber?" she snickered, "That colour doesn't exist in humans!"

My face went hot and I snatched my plate, dumping it in the sink. "Of course not.. I.. I was only joking!"

She laughed again, "Either way, you're going on that date."

I was about to respond but Jii-chan walked through the door interrupting me, holding a small package in his hands.

"Oh, there you are, Kaori!" he grinned.

"Hey Jii-chan.." I muttered, eyeing the package. It was cute; a small, nicely, wrapped box with shimmering silver/purple paper and pink ribbon. That was great.. but the contents inside was what worried me.. Jii-chan was never good with gifts..

"I have something for you!"

"I can see that, Jii-chan.." I gave him a genuinely fake smile and he glowed pink in embarrassment.

"Well, here you are." He handed the gift to me and I carefully took off the wrapping paper, making sure not to rip it. I opened the box and my fears came true. In the box was this green hand thing.. I stared at it inside the box, not wanting to touch the wrinkly green skin..

"That is a mummified Kappa's hand," Jii-chan explained, "It brings good luck. Its history begins with.. "

I tossed it at Buyo -who still had been circling my feet- with a sigh. He snatched it between his teeth and ran off down the hall.

"Ah! Hey, that's wasteful!" Jii-chan cried, racing after him.

Kagome and I laughed as my Mother and Souta walked in a few minutes later, holding a small box each. I felt my mood brighten immediately as they handed me the small gifts. They never got me something weird.

"Happy birthday, Sis. This is from me and Kagome," Souta said.

"Really?" I smirked, taking the package in my hands, this one was wrapped with last year's Christmas paper, "I thought Kagome had already given me her prese-"

"Just open it already!" Kagome hissed.

I carefully opened it and peeked inside half expecting another kappa hand. It was a metallic blue and silver ipod and it was already loaded with all of my favourite songs. I gasped and stared at it. How did they know I wanted one for my birthday? I mean.. I have been hinting about it for weeks but.. I didn't think anyone paid attention.

"Thank you, both!" I wrapped my arms around Souta's neck tightly, thanking them over and over.

The next gift was from my Mother. Her gift was a silver chain. She told me it was for the jewel I had with me all of the time. The Shikon No Tama.. I pulled the jewel out of my pocket and rolled it around in my hand carefully. The silvery pink wisps inside swirled around and I pressed the chain against the jewel. With a soft glow the chain sunk into the glass, as it accepted and formed around the silver, locking it in place to create a necklace. I threw it around my neck and smiled. Maybe this birthday wasn't going to be so bad after all.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

"Are you ready everyone! Okay! 1.. 2.. 3.. 4.."

We all ran away giggling as Yuka covered her eyes against the Goshinboku. She was to count to 20 before coming to look for us, and I had the perfect hiding place. The well house. I raced across the courtyard and pulled open the sliding wooden doors. She'd never find me here!

"Kaori-chan! What are you doing!" Souta called from behind a bush, "We're not aloud to go in there!"

"Hush, Souta!" I hissed back, "Jii-chan wont ever know!" I silently stepped inside and giggled as I quietly shut the stiff doors. I was always the best at Hide and Seek. It was only obvious I would play it at my 16th birthday party. I didn't care about my age, or how childish this seemed, I just wanted to play.

"9.. 10.. 11.. 12.."

I turned around and eyed my surroundings. The air was stale and thick; the walls were covered in shelves stocked with old worthless artifacts, half of them, previous birthday presents. Two sleek dusty katanas sat on the far wall and I looked at them for a moment before returning my mind back to the project at hand.

I slowly made my way down the creaky wooden steps, searching the darkness for a good place to hide. I wanted to be out of view if Yuka had decided to check in here, which I was sure she was not going to.

"16.."

I eyed a stack of large crates in the corner and smiled. Perfect. I stepped up to the crates and pulled myself on top of one, swinging my leg over the other side. But suddenly an eerie scratching noise broke though the silence making me jump. I hit my head against a low hanging beam above and I hissed in pain. Ugh, what was that? The cat?

"19.. 20! Ready or not here I come!"

I eyed my hiding place then the darkness surrounding me. Hm.. hiding place or cat.. hiding place or cat.. I groaned and pulled myself off the crate. I couldn't leave Buyo in here, possibly in trouble.

The scratching echoed through the air again and I walked towards the well where the sound seemed to be coming from. I carefully opened it as quietly as I possibly could and leaned inside. Nothing but the dirt floor. "Buyo?"

Suddenly a bright flash blinded me and a cold, rough hand snatched my arm. I screamed, forcing my eyes to open, as the hand yanked me into the well. A half woman, half centipede creature opened her wide mouth to expose a long pink tongue and laughed as I fell. She had long greasy black hair.. and had six arms.. one of which was gripping mine.

Another scream was caught in my throat, as the bright light faded away to dark blue orbs and the creature smirked.

"How wonderful.. " she hissed, sending shivers down my spine, "I can feel my powers returning.. My body is growing back.. You have it.. give it to me." She licked my cheek, then lowered her head toward the jewel around my neck.

"Let go of me!" I screamed, shoving away her face. Another blinding white light shot from my hand and the monster let go immediately, her face sizzling as if burned.

"Damn.. you.." She growled, falling deeper into the darkness. "I won't let you go.. Shikon.. No.. Tama.."

"Shikon No Tama.." I whispered, clutching the jewel in my hand. My heart raced and my breath suddenly came out in a rushed gulp as the bottom of the well reappear below me. I fell to my knees and the electric blue orbs faded from view, the sound of singing birds flooding my ears. What had just happened? What was with the orbs, the yokai, the birds? And where exactly had the yokai disappeared into? The dirt? I looked down and dug my hand into the ground.. it was completely solid.. I looked up, but the well was too deep to see what lied over head. All I could see was a clear blue sky.

I got to my feet and brushed the dirt from my jeans. The sky puzzled me, I should be still inside the well house, I was sure that we didn't have a skylight.. but if we didn't does that mean..?

I grabbed onto the vines that grew along the grey stone walls of the well, and started climbing. It didn't take very long to get to the top, but I was somewhat out of shape and my body ached. I pulled my head over the edge of the well and gasped.

I was.. back around the same village before my sister's death.. In my meadow! I sat on the edge and threw my legs over the wood. "I...I'm back?"

If I was here then.. then.. I scanned the tops of the trees. There! The Goshinboku! I pulled the jewel from my neck and into my pockets so no more yokai could get it, then ran as fast as my legs could carry me, tripping over roots, branches scratching at my face. I emerged from a thick bush and stumbled into a small clearing.

It was exactly as I had left it.

I stared up into the peaceful face of the hanyo boy. I knew him.. I knew him all to well. He was pinned to the Goshinboku, my sister's sacred arrow still pierced his heart. Vines and thick roots from the neighbouring trees grew over his body, locking him in place. He slept, oblivious to the living world surrounding him, perfectly at ease. He was in his own little world.. his own little fantasy. Free from the worries and labour of mortal life.  
The gentle breeze blew his silver hair across his face and I felt my heart falter. It was Inuyasha. The boy from my childhood... the man who had loved my sister. He hadn't just existed in my childish imagination. My whole 6 year old life hadn't just been something my brain had concocted in a dream. I hadn't just gotten into an accident and forgotten my real family who had abandoned me and had made up him in their stead, like everyone else believed. He was.. real.

I climbed up the thick roots, stumbling a bit, and stood before him. He looked even more real up close. But even though I could hear his breathing, and the slow steady beat of his heart, I was afraid. This might not be real, this might be a dream. He could fade away like so many times before, and then I would wake in my room crying, my hands reaching out into the darkness for the feel of his hand around mine once more.

I gazed over his face, trying to sketch this perfect image in my mind so I wouldn't forget. This was the most vivid dream I had ever had.. I couldn't forget it.

I slowly lifted my hand to brush a strand of silver hair from his face, but hesitated. So many times before he had disappeared.. I was afraid I would lose him again, that he might disappear into the darkness if I wasn't careful. But.. even if this wasn't real.. I needed the closure that I had tried.. that I had tried not to forget. I didn't have to think of them anymore and I could go back home.. but I had to know if he was real, that he did exist somewhere.

I brushed the strand of hair away, and my hand tingled where it had touched him. He was real, the slightly warmer temperature of his half immortal body told me so. I lifted my hands to the small silver dog ears on his head and held them between my thumb, index and middle finger. I caressed them between them and smiled to myself. Just as I had remembered, they felt like fuzzy velvet. The longer I stood here the more it felt like it was reality. That was something that I wanted to believe with all my heart.

"You! What are you doing over there?" The voice of a human male shattered the silence. Five arrows whizzed past and pierced the truck of the Goshinboku inches from Inuyasha's body, making me scream. "This land is forbidden!"

"Hold your fire, Kaito!" Another voice shouted, "It's only a young woman.. Are you a foreigner?"

I turned around to face them, my voice caught in my throat. What?

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

"She was in the forbidden forest?"

"It be a young girl in strange clothing.. "

All around me, villagers talked amongst themselves as I sat on the dusty earth. My hands and feet were bound by thick, coarse rope. They pointed and stared at me like I was some freak animal in a zoo.

"Oi! Idiots! You didn't have to tie me up! I'm perfectly capable of sitting in one place!" I shouted, struggling to break free.

"Could she be a spy?"

"Could it be war again?"

"A kitsune in disguise, perhaps..?" The villagers ignored my protests and continued talking amongst themselves. Stupid.. Arrogant people.. I looked far from dangerous! How could they even think I was out to make war!

"Clear the way! Miko Kaede-sama has arrived."

Miko? An old woman limped forward through the crowd, using her bow as a crutch. She wore the traditional miko clothing and one of her eyes were covered with a black patch.

There was something familiar about her.. But I couldn't figure out exactly what that was..

The woman gazed over me with a hard look in her eye. I stared back trying to be just as intimidating. A young man stepped beside her holding a small jar and she opened a chubby wrinkled hand and grabbed a handful of its contents.

"Yokai begone!" she commanded. She raised her hand and whipped some sort of dust into my face. I cringed as it fell into my eyes, making them burn.

"S-stop it!" I shouted, my eyes watering, "I'm not a yokai!"

"Are ye not?" she asked. She dropped the rest of the dust into the jar and clutched her bow. "Then why were you found in the forbidden forest? Why have ye's eyes gone red if ye are not a yokai?"

"Well you just threw dirt into them obviously!" I snapped, rubbing my face on my shoulders, "Anyone's eyes would water!"

She watched me with a suspicious look and the young man beside her bent down to her ear. "She could be a spy.." he whispered.

"I'm not.." I grumbled.

"If she was she would be a fool," the miko said, "no one would invade such a poor village as ours."

I looked around. She was right. A vaguely familiar village was falling apart. Roofs were full of holes and huts were half demolished. An image of a thriving green village flashed before my eyes and I bit my lip. What had happened to this place?

"Hn..?" I looked back toward the miko as she took a few steps toward me. Surprise and curiosity was now etched through her deep wrinkles.  
"Let me see your face more clearly.." she demanded, gripping my chin between her thumb and index finger. She pulled my head this way and that, snapping at me furiously.

I glared at her, trying to keep my mouth shut. Who was this old hag yanking me around with her dirty hands! She twisted my head again to the point where it cricked and I hissed. "Ugh, get your hands off me! Who do you think you are? Doing stuff like that!"

The woman let go of my face and took a step back, her wise chocolate eye watching me intently. "You resemble.." she said, "Kaori, my younger sister."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

"Ye may not remember but our older sister, Kikyo, was a miko who protected over this village..." Kaede explained, as she spooned stew into a wooden bowl.

We had moved from outside and were now sitting in the hut that used to be my house. She had been explaining my sister, Inuyasha, my life before I fell through the well. Of course I remembered but it was mostly a blur. The only thing that was clear in my mind was the day of Kikyo's death..

"It has been 50 years since that day," she murmured, handing the bowl over to me.

I took a sip and then sighed. "A lot has changed since then.."

Kaede looked at me, her eyes searching. "Aye, it has.. but I do wonder, why have you aged only to a young woman instead of a old lady, like myself?"

"I guess the well took me a little bit further than it took me back. I've only aged 10 years," I replied.. and if the times are ever changing.. will I ever get back to Tokyo?

Suddenly a loud, blood curdling scream echoed through the village, making my heart lurch in fear. Kaede jumped up at a alarming speed for her age and ran to the door. I followed quickly behind her. Something horrible was happening outside and my curiosity got the better of me. I tripped over my feet and tumbled outside. A large black stallion landed just a few inches away from my face, its gut torn open and bleeding.

I was on my feet in an instant, trying not to look at the helpless creature. I turned my gaze to the rooftops to see the centipede yokai from the well, rise into the air, her mouth covered in blood.

The villagers ran from her, covering their heads, protecting them from the falling debris.

"Mo-Mono no ke!" A man shouted, running with his family from the village.

The yokai snapped her head toward me, and an eerie hiss erupted from her lips. "Give me the Shikon No Tama!" she screeched.

Kaede pushed me out of the way as she lunged throwing herself into the monster's path, I grabbed onto her kimono, pulling her with me as we both only missed her attack by mere inches. I helped her up and pulled her behind the stables, away from the chaos.

"The.." she wheezed, trying to catch her breath, "The Shikon No Tama? You.. are carrying it!"

"Yes, fortunately.." I said, staring at the yokai ahead, "Or maybe unfortunately.."

The sound of people screaming, huts breaking, the sound of ripping flesh, was something I had hoped never to hear again. "Stay here, hidden, safe. I'll be back" I said then ran from the stables.

"Kaori!"

I had to drive this yokai back to the well that I came, so this destruction would stop. That was what we used to do when I was little, it must work now! It was my fault after all. If I hadn't gone into the well house like Souta said then none of this would be happening and I would be at home eating cake and ice cream, enjoying my birthday!

"Give me the Shikon no Tama!" The yokai's sinister voice yelled from behind me. I didn't look back. I was going to die, and I was going to fail my sister's dying wish. She didn't want me to come back.. She wanted me to stay in the place where there are no yokai until I could find a way to rid the world of the jewel's evil. I knew she wanted that and now it was all over!

I blinked back tears, and my vision burred. I'm such an.. idiot.. Suddenly I tripped over my feet and fell into a large bush, hitting my head against the hard ground. I felt the yokai's body rushed over me, and I knew if I hadn't tripped, death would have fallen upon me in mere seconds.

"What are you doing with that wimpy centipede opponent of yours?"

I looked up, startled and scared. Another yokai to kill me? But all I seen was the clearing I had been in only hours before.. Inuyasha, still in the pinned to the Goshinboku, the numerous arrows still stuck around his body, was awake, alive! But.. HE SHOULD BE DEAD!

"Settle this with a single blow, Kikyo.. Like when you killed me," he sneered. He thought I was Kikyo? But why? I didn't look anything like my older sister. My vision cleared and I noticed how dark it was now. I looked at my hair that surrounded me as I lay in the dirt, and it was too dark to tell it was light brown.

"Inuyasha.. " I got to my feet, running my hand along the pocket where the jewel was hidden. It was still there, good. "I don't know how you're alive, or even real at the moment.. but I'm not Kik-"

"It comes," he interrupted. I felt my heart lurch again and searched the surrounding forest, looking for any sign the yokai was near. She came from above. Her arms reached out to grab me and I tried my best to get away from her grasp. I fell to my bottom and stared into death's pale face. But she suddenly froze, her fingers inches from me.

"Al.. Alright! Pull!" The village men stood at the edge of the tree line, holding coarse thick rope in their hands. The rope was attached to long iron spears, that jutted out from the centipede's back. I was grateful for their actions and happy that it came seconds before my death but, I already knew that their weak attempts to killing this monster, wouldn't be enough.

"Heh, I'm disappointed, Kikyo.. " Inuyasha sneered. I stood up again and climbed up the large roots that covered his body to be at eye level.

"Inuyasha, I'm not Kikyo. I'm-"

"Keh. Go stuff it! No girl smells this disgusting except.. " he stopped short, and leaned closer, sniffing me, "Hn? Kaori?"

"Thanks for telling me that I smell disgusting," I grumbled.

He ignored me and said, "I should have known, Kikyo's scent is much more pleasant.." he muttered.

"Ugh, why you!"

The sound of shouting men pierced the silence, and I felt the anger and colour drain from my face. I whipped around to see them falling to the ground, the rope burning their hands as the yokai reached her chalky pale hands toward me again. They grabbed my sweater and started pulling me back. Instinctively, my arms wrapped around Inuyasha's neck. "Wahh! Let go of me!"

"You let go of _me_!" he shouted in pain.

"Kaede-sama.. Inuyasha is.." I heard one of the fallen men shout in a panic behind me, and I heard my elder sister gasp.

"Inuyasha has awoken!"

"Give me the Shikon No Tama!" The centipede shouted.

"Shikon No Tama..?" Inuyasha murmured.

I stared up at him, his amber eyes locked upon the yokai in deep thought. She pulled again and my grip was lost. I felt the forest disappear below and my body was turned upwards toward the night sky.

I heard a rumbling below and sudden pain pierced my hips. I gasped, my black dots appearing before my eyes and looked down at my body.  
The yokai had my waist snatched up in her fanged mouth and she tossed me effortlessly toward the ground. I cried out as my body smacked the dirt, blood gushing from my wound.

"Ahh! Something came from her body!"

"The Shikon No Tama!" I heard Kaede shout.

What! No! I quickly sat up and touched my pockets, my hand touched something hot and wet and I hissed in pain. The pocket was no longer there but my exposed wounded flesh.

I heard a tinkling and looked beside me. The jewel had landed just feet from where I sat. I crawled as best I could to get it, one hand holding my wound, trying to stop the blood.

"Kaori, give me the jewel!" Inuyasha demanded. I grabbed the Shikon No Tama and held it close to my body. I needed to keep it protected. At least for my sister's sake.

Suddenly something wrapped around me and I was pulled to the Goshinboku, dropping the jewel in shock. Inuyasha's body separated me from the hard tree but the thing that tightly squeezed my body, made it excruciatingly painful. I glanced behind me. It was the centipede. Her large bug-like body had wrapped around the Goshinboku and myself, threatening to snap me in two.

"Keh he he heh.." Her laughter, full of victory and menace, sent shivers down my spine. "I've heard that some hanyo brat, called Inuyasha or whatever, is after the Shikon No Tama.. is that you?"

Inuyasha growled, "Don't under estimate me, centipede jourou. When I fight seriously, someone like you is just small fry."

I looked up at him, my eyes filled with hope. "You have a plan!"

He looked down at me, not saying a word. I'm guessing no plan then..

"Can't move, can you? It looks as though your power is being sealed, isn't it?" The centipede chuckled. Oh great, I forgot about that part. The yokai bent down to pick up the glowing pink ball in the grass. "You just stay there and watch.. " She stuck out her tongue curled it around the jewel pulling it into her mouth.

"Ahh, crap!" Inuyasha shouted.

The yokai stared for a second her expression blank and waiting, then suddenly her chalky pale skin ripped off her to reveal a dark purple, spotted pink monster. Her eyes became large and bulged out from their sockets and I felt my stomach turn.

"How wonderful.. My full powers have returned!" She hissed. Gross! She's happy looking like that! She needs some serious plastic surgery!  
The hold around my body and the tree suddenly became 10 times stronger. It became hard to breath and I felt like I would break any minute.

"Oi, Kaori," I looked up toward the big mouth. He wasn't looking at me but at the face of the yokai again. He seemed perfectly unharmed, isn't that wonderful! "This arrow, do you think you can pull it out?"

I eyed the arrow, the memory of how it got there flashing before my eyes. "I.. I'll try.."

"No! You must not pull it out!" I heard Kaede yell, "Inuyasha must not be freed, Kaori!"

"You half asleep, babaa?" Inuyasha snapped, "Do you want to become centipede bait! If that thing completely absorbs the Shikon No Tama.. It's over!" Inuyasha looked down at me, "How 'bout it, Kaori? You wanna die?"

This wasn't something I had to think twice about. Sure, I maybe betraying my elder sisters by dong what I was about to do but, then again, I had always been more loyal to this arrogant man than my own family. My hand grasped the arrow.

"Kikyo forgive me." I whispered and pulled. The arrow vanished in a pink light and my hand was left grasping the air.

A heart beat filled my ears. Low, deep, and loud. Inuyasha's body pulsed beneath me and I swallowed. What had I done..? He started to chuckle darkly under his breath and the centipede's body suddenly fell to pieces . Inuyasha, at a speed I had almost forgotten he had, shoved past me, jumped off the tree and landed in front of the yokai centipede.

"You brat..." she hissed.

Inuyasha flexed his claws and smirked at the hideous monster. "Come and get it, hag!" He lunged and golden energy blades flew from his claws, slicing the monster into pieces. Landing on both feet at the same time, pieces of the monster falling behind him, I was amazed.. He had that effect on me. I was constantly finding myself in awe by this creature. He was just so much more spectacular then us mere mortals..

The pieces of the monster's body started to tremble and I jumped to my feet. "You mean this isn't over?"

Kaede ran to my side, putting one hand on my shoulder, "Kaori, do you see a glowing piece of flesh? The Shikon No Tama should be inside that. If you do not remove it quickly, Mistress Centipede will revive again."

"Right.." I muttered and scanned the balls of flesh before me. I saw it. It was in a large piece of its bug-like body. "Over there..." I stumbled over to the piece and pulled out the jewel, still attached to my silver chain. The yokai's body then turned to dust and blew away with the wind.

I sighed in relief and looked at the jewel in the palm of my hand. "I forgot how much trouble this gave Kikyo.."

"Yes, trouble I'm sure you don't need."

I spun around to see Inuyasha stepping toward me cracking his knuckles. "So why don't you just be a good little girl, and hand over the jewel?"


	2. Those After The Jewel

A/N: So here is chapter two! You don't need to read this at the beginning all the time, as long as you read these at some point, and remember REVIEW YOUR BUTS OFF ! I do need help sometimes keeping track of my story so if you notice an error or something that doesnt makes sense, either review or message me and I'll fix it up. The dates this chapter takes place is: september 12 – september 14.

* * *

**You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.**

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I Do Not Own Inuyasha

* * *

2. Those After The Jewel

"Kaori! Never hand it over!" Kaede barked. She acted like I didn't already know that. I had been taught that the Shikon No Tama was used to boost yokai's spiritual powers. I knew that it was an unholy jewel. I knew that Inuyasha wanted the jewel to become a yokai. But..

"I won't go easy on you, Kaori!" Inuyasha shouted, flexing his claws. Up until now I hadn't realized how very sharp those claws were.. Perfect for ripping through human flesh.. _My_ human flesh. "I especially won't.. for the sister of that wretched Kikyo!"

He lunged forward, his claws pointed directly for my body. But he seemed to have forgotten something. I had grown up with him as my role model. He had taught me how to dodge yokai's attacks.. and I had practised for hours until I had preformed the dodging manoeuvres with exceptional speed and grace. He wouldn't kill me.

I jumped out of the way, somehow landing silently and gracefully on the other side of him. I hadn't realized I could be graceful when my life depended on it.. I also hadn't realized that Inuyasha had whipped around.

He slid back a few feet before he found traction, and sprinted toward me again. "Wench! I'll cut you in half!"

I quickly moved out of the way and held the Shikon No Tama to my chest. My hands were soaked in my own blood. I didn't feel the pain. Maybe it was the adrenaline that coursed through my veins that numbed me.. but was that adrenaline also making me unafraid? I wasn't scared at all. I didn't know why though. I should be scared. I was going to die unless I gave this guy the jewel.. and I was forbidden from ever doing that.

"Undoing Inuyasha's seal was unwise, wasn't it?" I heard a villager ask.

Kaede sighed, "What a bother.." She pulled out a set of black and white beads and held them in her hand.. Those were the beads Kikyo had made for Inuyasha.. but I thought she had gotten rid of them for she decided against using it on him.. "Of course Kaori would end up causing something like this. Yet again.. that damn guy.."

"What! Me cause something like this!" I shouted, hysterically.

"Never mind that, prepare to die!" Inuyasha yelled, as he aimed his claws for my head. I stepped back until my head hit the bark of a large maple tree.

"Is that even possible!" I replied, ducking before Inuyasha sliced through my feeble body. The force of the tree falling behind me pushed me to my knees. My hands still held the Shikon No Tama, thankfully, but with the constant jumping around.. It could only last for so long.

"Take this!" Inuyasha shouted, jumping from the other side of the stump toward me. Kikyo's beads suddenly materialized around his neck, and he was distracted for a split second. Giving me enough time to dodge his attack.

"Kaori, speak the subduing word!" Kaede shouted, finally showing some sort of concern for my safety. I knew how this particular necklace worked, I needed a word. A word that would be used as a password to unlock the necklace's power and subdue the wearers power.. namely Inuyasha. But even though I knew this, my mind was blank.

"Why? Wouldn't it be easier to hand over the jewel?" I asked, backing against another tree.

"Now your speaking my language!" Inuyasha stopped attacking and walked over to me again. He held out his hand calmly, waiting me to give him the jewel. He acted like he had forgotten that he'd just tried to kill me with these very claws. I needed to buy myself some time to think of a word, and this was the only way could think of distracting him. I held my hand out toward his, the jewel grasped tightly in my fist.

"No Kaori! Don't! If you do then you'll be betraying us all!" Kaede shouted.

"Betray Kikyo and my family.. or betray Inuyasha.." I murmured. Inuyasha had dog ears.. He was part dog yokai.. A dog.. I had a word! I pulled my hand back to my chest and Inuyasha became angry once more. "Gomen Inuyasha. I can't.." I turned to walk past him and toward my elder sister.

"Osuwari."

Inuyasha's face was pulled to the forest floor in a way that looked painful. I stopped beside Kaede and gave her a small reassuring smile. I had to let her know that I hadn't been serious about giving away the jewel, so she could trust me again.

"Hmm." Kaede's eyes swept over the frozen Inuyasha. His eyes were full of shock and his face was covered in dirt. He sat up abruptly and yanked hard on the beaded necklace.

"Wha.. What the hell is this?" he demanded, trying ever so hard to break it.

"To struggle is useless, Inuyasha, as that rosary subdues your power." Kaede explained, inspecting the wound on my chest that refused to stop bleeding. Apparently centipede yokai's have a sorta of venom that prevents wounds from healing. Leaving it's victim to bleed to death. But I was aware that we had come up with a sort of anti-venom when I was 3 or 4, so I wouldn't be dying today, at least.

"Wha..?" Inuyasha lunged toward Kaede, he claws flexed again. "Go stuff it, babaa!"

"Kaori.." Kaede sighed, turning her back on the hanyo.

"Osuwari." I said and watched Inuyasha do another face plant. It was kinda funny, the power I had over him was far greater than his own.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

"However, it has become something of a problem.." Kaede sighed, applying the lime green cream that would stop the bleeding. It was cold, and stung a little, but it started to work right away, so I was grateful for that. She bandaged up the wound as she spoke, talking loudly, and clearly so the inu hanyo outside would be able to hear the conversation. "As the Shikon No Tama has resurfaced in this age. Evil beings will come swarming after it."

"Like yokai, right?" I was about the pull my shirt over my head, when I notice the dark red blood stains contrasting against the white fabric. I frowned in disgust, and threw it aside, along with my sweater. My pants were torn, and covered in dirt, mud, blood, and grass stains, and I'll bet my appearance wasn't that much better either.

I glanced toward my sister pleadingly, and she handed me something like miko attire. I took it and threw it on quickly, listening carefully as my sister continued to speak.

"Not only yokai, Kaori.. but people with evil in their hearts as well." Kaede explained, as Ι tied my hair back out of my face. "In this age of war, if they can get the Shikon No Tama and all of its spiritual power.. They can then achieve all of their desires."

I sighed and sat back down on my knees, the Shikon No Tama securely around my neck once more. "Right, I'd forgotten now very troublesome this little jewel could be."

Inuyasha walked in moments later, as if he had sensed that I was fully clothes from just being outside. I watched him suspiciously as he sat down, farthest away from me as possible. He didn't look at me and kept his eyes away from anything near me as well. What was his problem?

"And I'll bet you still want the jewel to become a yokai?" Maybe my questions will force him to look at me. "I thought you said you'd use it to become human."

He growled and then his amber eyes flickered to mine. He looked away quickly, as did I and in that fraction of a second, his gaze had been hard and cold.. as if I had said something I shouldn't have and he wanted me shut up. That was probably the case here.

I turned back to Kaede, now having no interest in that dog anymore. He could be rude all he wanted, I don't care! "I never really figured out what happened, you know. One minute they were fine and all lovey-dovey," Inuyasha growled, "the next they're trying to kill each other."

"Yes, Kikyo had ordered us to keep it from you, but things happened, Kaori. Terrible things." Kaede explained. Well.. yes I knew that already, or else they wouldn't have tried to kill each other. I guessed that my sister wasn't ready to tell me the whole truth yet.

The sound of breaking wood, brought my attention back to the rude hanyo. He'd hit the floor, most likely in fit of rage, and was now glaring across the room toward my older sister. "Babaa.. You've been going on like that since earlier," he growled, "Do you know me?"

"You don't recognize me, do you? But that's not surprising," Kaede answered, poking the fire with a long stick, "I am the older sister of Kaori, and the younger of Kikyo, the one who sealed you. I'm Kaede."

"Kaede..?" he mumbled. I tried to stifle a laugh at Inuyasha's confused expression. Surely he would have recognized her by her scent?

"It had been 50 years since then.. So I have aged as well."

"Hmm.. You're that other brat, huh.. which means.." He leaned back and closed his eyes, a slight smirk growing across his face. "Kikyo is a total hag as well? Too bad, being human, isn't it..?"

"Kikyo-onee-sama, is dead," Kaede muttered. I knew that this was a subject she didn't want to bring up, and this was a subject I didn't want to hear. Memories of that day flashed before my eyes as she continued to speak. "It was that same day you were sealed."

"Hmm. So that's what happened.. Too bad for that wench, eh?" Inuyasha sneered. "Keh. That's a relief."

"Inuyasha, it's a bit too early to be relieved.." Kaede said, poking the fire again. "Kaori, holds the same skills as Kikyo-onee-sama. And she's surprisingly strong for anyone who hasn't trained her whole life and didn't want anything to do with being a miko. There is something strange about this girl, and I think you should take note of it."

I flushed red as a tomato, and stared down at my hands. She was right.. I was strange, but mostly it was the fault of not wanting to be a miko and follow in my sister's footsteps. I hadn't wanted be what they wanted me to be because, like most girls, I had wanted to fall in love and get married and have my own children. But being a miko stripped you from those rights, and you were to live without love and family. I didn't want to live a life of solitude like Kikyo did.

But the spiritual powers that came with being a miko had always haunted me in my sleep. I had always wanted to be stronger, but then, I didn't want to be alone. I was stuck between my future family, and my lust for strength. But.. when I had first met Inuyasha, my problems had disappeared.

One of the reasons why I had always looked up to Inuyasha more, when I was younger, was the fact that he was part yokai. I had marvelled over that. He had powers, he was strong.. and upon meeting my sister, it was obvious to me that hanyo or yokai, you could also have the family future that I wanted. Once I had figured this out I had decided, that no matter what I had to do I would be the same. But I already knew that it wasn't possible.. unless you used the Shikon No Tama. But then it would become impure, and Kikyo would never have that so my dreams had been thrown out the window.

"That reminds me.." Inuyasha's voice broke me from my trance, and I stole a side-ways glance at him. "Why the hell aren't you a hag as well, you're not that much younger then the babaa over here."

"Osuwari!" I steamed at the straight forwardness of his question. He could have said it nicer, and without insulting my sister and me in the same sentence, but it was probably impossible for someone like him. "Well for your information, there is now a huge age gap between me and Kaede now. After you were put down I was sent on a mission through the well, to protect the jewel, in a different time, a different world. I went more years forward than years back and so I have only aged 10 years instead of 50."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

"I hear she's the youngest sister of Kikyo-sama."

"Now that you mention it, she is rather noble, and solemn and she looks much like Kaori."

I listened to the villagers gossip about me as I walked down the dirt road by the rice farms. It was my second day here and all afternoon it had been like this. I turned my gaze toward them, as the whispers had stopped, and saw that their heads were bowed in respect.

One of the women stepped forward with a basket full of vegetables. "Please take these as a sign to show you, how very sorry we are about yesterday morning, Kaori-sama." I took them from her, and inspected the ones on top. Perfect.. and huge. We really needed the secret of making these veggie so monstrous for the future. All those chemicals weren't helping.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

I stumbled up the steep hill toward Inuyasha, my lack of grace and physical skill working against me. He was sitting in the lowest branch of a tree, just staring out into space...I think he's gone brain-dead, because he's too stupid to be actually thinking about something. I picked up one of the huge, juicy, red tomatoes and lodged it at his head. Sadly he heard it coming and caught it right before it hit him. I hate those reflexes.

"Hn?" He whipped around to look at me, an angry, surprised look written across his face.

"Since you caught that you can have it! Your germs are on it now." I called up at him. His angry look grew worse, and I felt a smirk grow across my own face.

"What's with the food?"

"Them villagers gave it to me hoping I would forgive them for tying me up earlier."

"And did you?"

I laughed and dropped the huge veggies at the base of the tree. "They seem to think so." I, then, sat down and looked toward the light blue sky. Today the sky was flawless. Not one single cloud ripped through the vast blue. "Are you gonna come down and help me eat these mutant vegetables or are you just gonna mope all day in that tree?"

I thought I heard Inuyasha scoff and he looked away from me, staring back into space. Fine, if he didn't want to do it the easy way...then we could do it the...sorta harder way.

"What are you trying to do? We all know you're too stuuuuupid to be able to think about anything." It worked. He was suddenly beside me. He glared at me and snatched away one of the baskets. The way he looked at me, gave me a whole new out look on the phrase 'If looks could kill'.

"What are you plotting, wench?" He asked, taking a bite of the tomato I had whipped at his head.

"If I was plotting something, I wouldn't tell you." I stared down at the village, it was sad to know that this beautiful little village would one day become a vast city of pollution and gas guzzling vehicles. I glanced at Inuyasha, out of the corner of my eye, and he was giving me another death glare. "Look, idiot, you seem to have me and Kikyo mixed up but I wasn't the one who tried to kill you, okay? I actually cried on that day."

"Keh! Lies! You and your stupid sisters make me retch!"

I snatched a monster carrot out of his hand. "No I think that's the food. Besides there's no way you could have forgotten everything that happened 50 years ago. Just remember, I'm not Kikyo, I'm my own person, and you know full well that I don't intend to live my life the way she did."

"Keh! You idiot!" Inuyasha sneered, grabbing back the monster carrot. "Do you still honestly believe you could become a yokai if you wish upon a star for it? It's not gonna happen so just give it up already. And I don't care what happened 50 years ago or whoever you are. Whether your Kaori, Kikyo, Kaede or some stupid human from another village, I'll still show no mercy when it comes to getting the Shikon No Tama!"

"Figures.." I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. "You do realize all your feeble attempts would be useless against me because I can just say 'osuwari' and..." The sound of something slamming onto the ground brought my gaze back to him. He was an inch deep in the earth "..and that'll happen."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

I stared into the crackling fire, as the sound of chirping crickets and the scent of the cool night air came through the open window. It was night again, and everything and everyone around me, were sleeping. In dreamland, a place that I dreaded but loved to go. Dreams.. My dreams were always filled with family and friends from the past, and things that I didn't want to be reminded about. Like remembering those amber orbs full of hatred as Inuyasha stared at me when he thought I was Kikyo.

This was the second night that I had been here. The Higurashi's must be worried.. and my Mother must be in the hospital after the shock of my disappearance hit her. I'd have to go back, and tell them where I've been.. and tell them that they'll never see me again because this is where I chose to stay. I'll try the dry well tomorrow..

I closed my tired eyes, and waited for sleep to come.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

I stumbled through the forbidden forest searching for the dry well. I didn't want to go back, I'd rather stay here with Inuyasha, but if I was going to stay in the past.. I'll have to say good-bye to my future first.

I sighed and looked around. Large trees surrounded me, stretching toward the sky. Ferns, small bushes, vines and fallen branches, littered the forest floor. I spotted a large rock, that stuck out of the ground like a mini mountain and let out a groan. I had past that rock three times already. I was lost.

I turned around to go back the way I came, hoping to find the village and start all over. But instead of seeing bushes and the eerie green light behind me, two large well built men stood, leering over me, evil smirks on their scarred faces.. Uh Oh.

I whipped around, running into the trees. Those guys.. they were bandits. I needed to get away from them.. I couldn't be caught. If I do get caught.. then Inuyasha won't know until the scent of my blood is floating through the air.. It'll be to late, and I would have died by the time he would arrive. But I saw a grubby, dirty, hand reach out from behind me, and grab onto my arm, making me come to a dead stop. Damnit.

The two bandits brought me to a old, run-down hut, deep in this forest somewhere, ignoring and easily over-throwing, my kicks, and punches of protest. I didn't want to die.. I wasn't ready to join my sister in oblivion! I had just released Inuyasha from his 50 year sleep so that I could live. Now everything was going to go to waste!

The two bandits threw me to the hard wooden floor of their hide-out, and pinned me there by my arms. I lay on my stomach taking in the scene around me. There was about seven other men in the same kind of bandit armour as my kidnappers, and sitting on the north side of the hut, drinking soup or something weird, was the largest man I had ever saw. He had quite a lot of fat on him, but the height on this guy was abnormal. I could pass him off as a giant if I wanted to. But the way he looked, the pale skin colour and deranged face.. He looked dead, almost as if he were a zombie.

"Gehehe.." One of my kidnappers sneered, staring at my clothes. "This wench seems to be a sorta of miko?"

Wench.. huh..?

"We captured her just like you ordered, Okashira." The other one announced, to the Zombie. Ugh, Okashira? This guy was their boss? Who wants a zombie guy as their boss? Especially one this huge! He probably breaks a horses back as soon as he tries to ride one.

"The jewel.." The zombie boss, demanded. "The jewel.. hand it over." The boss took wobbly steps toward me, the sword at his side unsheathed and looking deadly. I wasn't gonna hand over this jewel, but if I didn't they'll kill me and then take it. I couldn't win in either situation. I hope your happy Inuyasha.. after today, only one of these 'wretched' sisters will remain alive.. and it certainly won't be this one.

The zombie boss grabbed me by the neck and lifted me over his head, chuckling deeply. I scratched and pulled at his thick monstrous hands, but it was useless. I was no match for a man this size.. I was barely even a match for anyone in that matter. He ripped the Shikon No Tama off my neck, the silver chain snapping painfully.

The zombie boss gazed over the pink glowing jewel in his hand, and a sinister grin grew over his face. He glanced back to me, his expression twisting to one of disgust, then tossed me effortlessly into the wall beside him. I hit the wall shoulder first, and I heard a snap, and pain shot through my arm like wild fire. Tears welled up in my eyes, as I slumped to my knees, trying to ignore the agony but I didn't cry out. It would be better not to draw attention to myself, unless I wanted to die.. But I wasn't looking forward to going to hell to meet an angry older sister..

Seconds ticked by and I waited for the rest of the pain, but it never came. I guess they have no interest in killing me just yet. But just as I was about to relax, I saw a sharp pointed object flying toward me from the corner of my eye. I jumped out of the way, ignoring the throbbing pain. The sharp, pointed silver, was the zombie boss's sword. He stood, his hand on the handle, while the sword stuck out of the wall where my head had been seconds before. I swallowed the lump in throat, and I felt beads of sweat trickle down my forehead. I had to do some quick thinking, or else I'd be dead momentary.

"Re..." The boss hissed, pulling his sword out of the wood. "Restrain her."

I gasped, and backed away from the advancing bandits. I didn't feel like dying today so I'd have to appeal to their better nature somehow.. So they won't wanna kill me. "Hey! You don't wanna kill me.." I smiled nervously. They stopped and looked at each other agreeing with what had I said.

"It would be a waste.." One of them sighed. He was bald, and muscular, and had scars all over his face. Obviously this man had seen a lot of battles.

"Yeah! Yeah! It would be a waste! I.. I can.." I stuttered. I had forgotten my strategy! Ugh, I was truly hopeless! "I.. I can perform for you!" I regretted those words as soon as they left my mouth. I couldn't sing..! Not as far as I'm aware of anyway..

I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye, and looked over toward the zombie boss. He was on the ground, his body unmoving and lifeless, a katana with hair tied around the hilt pulling away from his chest. A three eyed, sleek, black crow crawled out from the whole, the Shikon jewel in its beak. Strands of raven hair was tied around the tips of it's wings, and around it's body as well.. It looked like it had been caught in a web..

"Perfect! The boss loves performances, don't cha boss!" One of the men called back.

The bandit men looked toward their boss, with faces full off hope for the decision of killing me to be taken back. But instead their faces filled with rage and surprise as they took on the lifeless image of their leader, on the hard wooden floor.

"What the hell did you do, witch!" One of them shouted. Two slammed me against the wall, bending my arms around my back, breaking my right arm even more. Tears once again weld up in my eyes, from the pain, and I watched as a blurry silver object came flying toward me. I closed my eyes tightly, letting no light through, waiting..

But nothing happened. The men's grasp on my arms were forced away, and I started falling forwards, having no strength left to stop myself from hitting the floor. Whatever had happened while I was singing, had drained almost all of my energy.

I felt two stronger, yet gentle hands grasp my shoulders, and sit me down on my knees. I struggled to stay conscious but the pain was almost unbearable.

"Kaori!" Inuyasha's voice hissed in my ear, and I felt the sudden urge to get up. I hated showing any weakness in front of him. I had grown up watching him hide his weaknesses from everyone and everything, including my sister, and as I watched him fight with his immense strength, it had occurred to me that if you wanted to be strong, you mustn't show your enemies, your weakness. So had I worked hard, keeping a straight face in a fight, but being injured or showing any kind of weakness in front of the greatest fighter in, my head, at the time.. was very embarrassing. I didn't want him to see me as a dumb human who always needed protecting. I wanted him to see me as a equal.

"Are you alright! Where's the Shikon no Tama!" He demanded. "Do you have it!"

I growled. Of course the Shikon No Tama was of more importance to him than his lovers little sister. That was his first priority! Himself and the jewel sat on the top next came whatever was important to him. But I knew that I always had, and always will sit on the very bottom. The only reason why he'd ever paid any attention to me before was because I was Kikyo's little sister. If I had been anything other than that, then he'd never give me a second glance, no matter how loyal I'd be.

I opened my eyes, and glared at him "For your information-" I pulled away from his grasp and he let go of me. His face was full of confusion, but I didn't care. The fact that I was at the bottom of the list of his priority's really ticked me off. "I am perfectly fine! And while I was acting out my plan which, by the way, would have worked perfectly if you hadn't arrived, the stupid boss guy turned out to be a zombie with a yokai crow in his heart, being controlled by hair! It took off with the damn jewel! Are you happy now!"

He looked back at me, shock carved into his sharp features. But the shock quickly changed to anger. "Why.. the hell.. would.. I.. be.. happy.. when you let a demon take off with the JEWEL!" he shouted.

"Because! Now you don't have to worry about sticking around me all the time, which I know you hate, and you can go get the jewel from that pathetic excuse for a yokai! I don't care! I'm going home anyway! That stupid bone-eater's well will take me home! Actually, since I'm weak, why don't you just kill me now, so I'll never get in your way! Your always talking about how you hate us sisters!" I yelled. But I regretted my words as soon as I said them. I was too harsh, and he did ask if I was okay before he asked about the jewel.. I knew he never actually meant what he said when he claimed that he hated us.

I looked away from him, around the hut. I couldn't look at him.. not right after I said that. In the small shabby wooden hut, covered with vines and moss, the unconscious bodies of the bandits cluttered the floor. My heart gave a painful lurch. He had come to save me...and the way that I repay him was by snapping and making false accusations. I sighed, I was really a nasty person, aren't I?

I felt the ground disappear below me, only to be replaced with Inuyasha. With some quick, unseen, movement, he had managed to pull me onto his back, and now he was running through the forest at an inhumanly speed. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and watched as the forest whizzed past us, in a green and brown blur.

"You're forgiven.." he said, shocking me. I looked down at his face, but he looked forwards, his eyes full of concentration.

"Eh?" Was all I could manage. This wasn't the Inuyasha I knew. He should be pissed off at me for yelling and saying such things.. not.. not forgiving me!

"You're injured and weak.." he said, keeping his eyes forward.

"No..really?" I replied sarcastically. "Thanks for pointing out the obvious, Mr. I-have-a-million-different-personalities."

He growled, and I stifled a laugh. "You were always in a bad mood when your were hurt or exhausted, when you were little. Obviously nothings changed." He replied, with a slight smirk. My eyes narrowed and I looked away.

"Keh!" I scoffed. It surprised me. The way I said that was identical to the way Inuyasha did. I think I should stop hanging around him...next thing you know I'll be walking around in a red fire-rat kimono...

He leaped into the air, and I caught sight of the demon crow. It swallowed the pink jewel in it's break, and I heard Inuyasha curse under his breath. His feet touched the ground, and he continued to run through the forest. We ran past the Goshinboku, and a couple of tethered horses.  
It wasn't until Inuyasha shoved a bow and a quiver of arrows in my hand, did I realize that he had been thieving items from the horses as we ran by. I groaned, and clutched the weapon in my hand tightly.

"And you think I can use a bow, when I have a broken arm, because..?" I asked, reminding him that I was a crippled person here, with absolutely no strength what so ever.

"If Kikyo can do it, then you can as well, idiot," he answered. I growled at him and moved my broken arm, causing it to send waves of fire up my arm.

"Stupid, I am as much like my sister as you are to French toast," I muttered, watching the Goshinboku pass for the second time.

"Keh! You're such a idiot!" he replied, leaping into the air once more, "What the hell is French toast anyway?"

I burst out laughing at his ignorance, but scanned the sky for the demon bird. Of course he wouldn't know what French toast was, I lived in a totally different era than he did, but I could stop myself from laughing.

I pulled back the string on the bow, ignoring the stabs of pain coming from my arm, and shot it at the black dot, which might I add, was glowing a slight shade of pink. The arrow, glowed a purplish, blue colour, and pierced the bird exactly where the pink glow was the strongest.

The sound of shattering glass echoed across Japan, and glowing pink streaks scattered across the sky. "Oh, shit.." I whispered, as one of the glowing streaks flew past me. A shard scrapped against my skin, cutting through the flesh. I had broken the Shikon No Tama!

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO IT!" Inuyasha shouted as we landed on the forest floor. He let go of me and I came crashing down into the mud, my cheek now bleeding. The dirt made it sting so much more, and my arm was hurting so much I felt as though I would pass out.. but I growled and got to my feet.

"It's not my fault! You made me use a bow with a injured arm! Maybe that's why the Shikon No Tama broke!"

"YOU BROKE IT?" he shouted. Opps.. I guess he hadn't known.


	3. Yura

A/N: Well this is a lonnng chapter. If you don't like those I guess you're gonna not like this one, lol. I dunno what else to say soo, the date this chapter takes place is sept 14.

* * *

**You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.**

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I Do Not Own Inuyasha

* * *

3. Yura

"WHAT THE HELL, WENCH! YOU BROKE THE SHIKON NO TAMA! HOW THE HELL COULD YOU BREAK IT! YOUR SUCH A USELESS GIRL! YOU BROKE THE JEWEL!"

"Yes!" I shouted back. He had my body in an iron grip, shaking me with every word he spoke. "I broke the jewel! I don't need to be reminded you stupid idiot! I know what I did but it's not my fault!"

"IT IS YOUR FAULT!" he shouted.

"No it's not! It was an accident! I just did what you told me to do! Why does it matter so much you were never gonna get the jewel anyway!" I waited silently for his witty response, but when it didn't come, curiosity took over and I peeked up under my lashes toward him.

He wasn't looking at me. His eyes were cold, hard, cautious, fixed on something behind me. He growled, and pulled me closer to him, his iron grasp now becoming harder on my injured arms. I strained my ears to hear whatever it was that Inuyasha thought to be dangerous, but I didn't hear anything. Not the sound of the leaves crunching under the other persons feet, not the sound of its breathing, nothing. I didn't even feel that person's presence behind me. Maybe it was because the sound of my heart hammering in my ears, or the low ragged breathing of the boy in front of me, that made it impossible for me to detect another.

Inuyasha growled again, and he stepped back, pulling me closer. I knew this procedure, he used to do this when I was younger, when there was something dangerous, when it was already too late for me to flee. But there was one difference. I may have been injured but I was older now, smarter, faster, not as fragile as I had been when I was six. Also before there was always a sign of the yokai behind me that I couldn't see, but now it was like being deaf and blind, being helpless, not knowing what dangers had their eyes on you at that moment.

Then I heard it, the sound of wire being stretched. Something razor sharp suddenly ran against my cheek, cutting me deep once more. I flinched away from it, and turned my head toward the object. I saw a thin strand of.. thread? No.. hair, in fact there was a web of hair all over the forest. The same hair that had controlled the sword and the crow..

I looked up at Inuyasha, wondering if this was the reason why he was so hostile. But it didn't seem to be the reason, fore his eyes were still fixed on something unseen behind me. "Inuya-"

In one quick movement, just like before, he tossed me onto his back, and we were running through the forest again.

"Inuyasha? W-Where are we going?" I asked, as I noticed more webs of hair the deeper we went into the forest. But also.. we were headed away from the village..

"You said the bone-eater's well would take you home?" he asked.

"Well.. at least I think so.. It's where I came here from.. But where are we going? You didn't answer my question."

"First of all.." he mumbled as we came into a clearing, the bone-eaters well sitting in the middle. He picked me up and stood me on the edge of the well, a look of determination on his face. "We're getting rid of you."

He shoved me back, causing me to fall into the darkness.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

I lay on my bed, trailing my finger over the groves in the head board. I was on house arrest. Locked in my room, forbidden from going outside. They thought I had run away, and the well excuse was just something I had made up from the top of my head.

I stared at the pale blue walls, cluttered with stick figure paintings. I never used to speak when I first moved here, being broken inside from the loss of my sister and my best friend talking just seemed too much work. So I painted pictures of my dreams, memories, hopes, wishes. Every painting had Inuyasha in it, in some way or another.

My injuries were fine and mended. My mother had taken me to the hospital once she noticed my discoloured shoulder and the bandage around my back. But my centipede wound had healed surprisingly in the short time I had been in the feudal era and my so called 'broken arms', were nothing more then a few bruises. I didn't believe the doctor though. There was no way that a few bruises could have hurt so much.. but then he'd gotten me when he asked if my arm hurt now.. which it didn't anymore.

I sighed mournfully and grabbed my ipod out of my pocket. I've never been grounded before, being on house arrest was worse. My windows were shut tight, and my door was locked. Kagome thought it was a bit much, and so did Jii-chan, but Mom wouldn't listen. She was over-protective, way too over-protective. It was suffocating.

I sat on the edge of my bed, and put the ipod in my ears, blasting the music loud. The Higurashi's had gone out, for five minutes, enough time to get out. I threw on a dark pair of jeans and an old t-shirt. I wasn't gonna ruin new clothes by going in there with them. Not anymore! I braided my hair back and threw on a pair of black sneakers.

I grabbed my black leather backpack from my closet and tossed all of it's contents onto the floor. I wouldn't be needing math books if I was going to be fighting demons. I resupplied my bag, with the freshly washed kimono Kaede had given me yesterday, my first-aid kit that was alway under my bed for some reason, and all the clothes I could fit into my bag, along with some cleaning necessities. I threw the bag onto my back and ran to the window. I tried to pry it open but it didn't work, this window had been barely opened in the first place and now with it shut tight and even nailed down, there was no hope of ever getting the thing open again. I sighed and laid back down on the bed, not even bothering to try door.. I already had tried picking the lock five times.

The webs of hair.. Inuyasha's hostile behaviour.. and the newly broken Shikon No Tama. I didn't really understand any of these things. The webs of hair that could control people meant a yokai, and yokai's meant they were after the Shikon No Tama. But now the Shikon No Tama was broken now.. So there would be more yokai attacks since everyone would be after a shard.

I noticed something glittering and pink on my white carpet, and slid off the bed to look. It was a Shikon shard.. I picked it up, holding it gently between my fingers. It had a little splotch of red on it's tip. This must have been the shard that cut me..It must have caught onto my hair or something, then fell out while i was getting dressed.

If that hair yokai was after jewel shards then...

I turned off the ipod, straining my ears like I had before.. I heard the sound of wire being stretched almost instantly. My window shattered seconds later. I jumped to my feet, shoving my ipod into one of the deep pockets of my pants. There at the shattered window, shards of glass covering it, was a huge snake of raven hair.

I stared at the monster, frozen, like a deer in the headlights, my stupid habit taking over once more. A hair monster outside my window.. webs of hair in the feudal era.. obviously this was connected. There was no other explanation as to why the hair monster was here, except..

A lock of hair shot out from the main monster and wrapped itself around my ankle. The lock snapped back yanking my feet from under me, causing me to smack my skull against the glass covered floor. It pulled me out the window, but its grip wasn't tight, and I fell from its grasp, slamming into the Goshinboku.

I started seeing black spots as the pain shot through my body like lighting, and I felt something warm and thick trickle from my head down my neck. I rubbed my head where it hurt the most and looked at my hand. it was covered in blood. I stumbled to my feet, wiping the blood off on my shirt, trying to keep myself from blacking out. "Talk about bad hair day."

I looked about the shrine, hoping that, for some unknown reason, the monster had been an illusion, just my mind playing tricks on me, and that I had managed to launch myself out the window and hit this tree... 100 feet away. But it wasn't an illusion, the snake of hair still at my window, confirmed it. My eyes trailed along the snake like body of this hair monster, and my eyes widened as I noticed where the yokai's body lead from..

I leaped to my feet, and shot toward the well house. The yokai detected my movement and snapped back, causing me to trip and fall through the door. I grabbed onto the door frame, balancing myself, before the yokai lunged at me again. The yokai wrapped itself around my waist and threw me against the opposite wall.

It was strange though. The yokai's grip would be strong as it wrapped itself around me, but then it would seem as though it changed its mind, and instead of dragging me it would toss me away. Like I was some hot potato. I scanned the well house for something of use. This was a small wooden structure used as a store room for old artifacts, there must be something in here. And then suddenly I remembered.

My head snapped back to the wall where I had seen them only the day before. There they sat just as dusty as last time. The katanas..

I scrambled to my feet and ran over to the shelf where they sat. My hands grasped onto the hilts, and I yanked them out of their scabbards.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

Inuyasha ran though the forest, looking ahead, but not paying attention. Running through dense forests had become second nature, and he was more worried about the trees than himself. If he ran into one, at the speed he was going, it's be more likely the tree would snap in two, not him.

He didn't notice the webs of hair, nor could he see it for that matter, but he knew something dangerous was around. Something really dangerous, at least for a human girl, anyway. Kaori.. was someone he had sworn to protect, the first human outside his family, that didn't judge him because of what he was. Even though she had been young, she was well in formed of the half-breed yokai's out there, but she didn't seem to care. She was the only person that had stayed with him even when her whole village and even her sisters, turned on him. He had to keep her safe.

Kaede had told him about her country, and where she had resided over the last 50 years, learning her information from Kaori's minor, sleep-talking, and when she muttered on about how much she hated it when she thought she was alone. But as far as any of them knew, it was the safest place to be right now, and that was where he had sent her.

He knew she had gotten older, and obviously that would mean she'd be stronger, and not just the helpless 6 year old that had sworn to become a hanyo at all costs. But he couldn't see her like that, he couldn't look at her and see a healthy, young, smart, teenage girl. He still saw the little 6 year old brunette.

Something rustled in the shadows. Inuyasha stopped and flexed his claws, growling and sniffing the air. Blood.. Kaede's blood! Kaede stumbled out from behind the bush, her should slashed, and bleeding. Inuyasha ran to her, and caught her as she started to fall toward the earthy ground.

"What're you up to, with all this blood?" he asked.

"Couldn't ye have worded that some other way?" she mumbled, grudgingly. Inuyasha bent down on his knees, still staring at her.

"Who did this, Kaede-babaa?" he demanded, putting her on his back, heading toward the village.

"Ye better not go this way, the village girls are being manipulated by someone, they are them, who had attacked me," she warned, trying to ignore her pain.

"Where's Kaori!" She demanded, noticing the absence of her younger sister. She knew that most likely he would have sent her to hide somewhere, maybe in a cave, or some where out of the way and unknown. But the aura around him made her worry, he didn't seem exactly worried if Kaori was found, like he usually had in the past.

"Who cares! I feel less irritated when she's not around! That useless girl broke the jewel! The world is better off without her!" He spat, trying to sound as convincing at possible. Kaede gasped, and glared at the silver haired hanyo.

"Call her here! We need her!" she shouted into his ear, causing Inuyasha to flinch.

Inuyasha growled, and looked back at her ancient face, that was twisted into a look of fury. "No way! I can handle this myself!" he leaped into the air, turning his head forwards to pay attention to where he landed.

"You damn guy! Look!" Kaede squeezed his shoulders, transferring some of her weak powers into him. Inuyasha flinched again, not knowing what was happening, but then below him, webs of black hair appeared all across the forest, most of them leading to the centre, but that wasn't what had caught his attention.

In the largest clearing, with grass that was tall and pale green, flowers cluttering the earth, young Sakura trees growing around a small crystal clear pond, and in the middle of this clearing, was the bone-eaters well. The meadow was covered in raven strands of hair, leading toward the well, where they joined together making a huge monster that stretched downwards, reaching into the well.

A wave of panic rushed over him and he landed in the densest part of the forest, where a small cave resided beside a small stream. He put Kaede down by the water, not far from the entrance of the cave.

"Stay here, or I'll kill you," he growled. He then turned on his heel and sprinted back toward the well, cutting through the hair as he went. The power to see the raven tresses wouldn't last forever.

He reached the well in five seconds, the journey would have taken a half-an hour for a human, cut through the monster hair, stretching down the well, and jumped down after it. If this was the way to get to Kaori's country, then she wasn't safe.

Neon blue light shone around him, white orbs floating upwards. But it was gone as fast as it came. He was now standing in the bottom of a stone well, the sky had disappeared from above him, and in stead of hearing the sing song voice of the birds, he heard, and smelt, Kaori.

He leaped out of the well, landing in a crouch on the edge. But what he saw, pulled his attention away from any danger. A woman.. no, a teenage beauty, stood by the stairs, her back up against the wall, holding two sharp, lethal katanas in her hands. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, and her braided hair was a mess, but it didn't subtract any from her angelic features. She stood facing a snake of raven hair, panting.

A raven lock snapped toward her, but she had keen reflexes, and sliced it in two. More shot toward her, but again, they were cut to bits. She was running about the wooden structure, trying to get closer to the well, but the yokai wouldn't let her, attacking her every time it got the chance.

"You god damn yokai!" she shouted, Kaori's voice coming from her lips, "Why won't you die, damn it!"

The aggression in her voice startled Inuyasha. He'd never heard a human woman speak so aggressively, nor the words being said with Kaori's voice, for that matter. He watched as the girl and the impossible yokai continued to fight, seeming completely obvious to him. The brunette, was quick, agile, had fast reflexes, which seemed to make up for lack of strength. She was focused and determined, and fire blazed behind her familiar green eyes. It was almost as if she was raised by yokai...

The raven locks shot out toward her again, knocking her Katanas from her hands, landing across the room. The girl didn't falter, although, for a millisecond, panic flashed over her face. She spirited toward the yokai, jumped onto the banister then landed behind the yokai, only a few feet away from her swords.

But as her foot touched the wood, it broke under her weight. She'd stepped on a weak board. Her foot fell through, the sharp pieces of wood cutting into her skin. She gasped, fell to the floor, but she didn't cry out in agony, like most humans would have.

It wasn't until the scent of Kaori's blood hit Inuyasha's nose, did he snap out of it. He looked back at the girl, to see Kaori as he always saw her, as a child, her leg thorough the wood, covered in blood. She reached for one of the katanas that had been knocked just out of arms reach, her face reflecting her pain. The hair yokai saw this as an opportunity and shot toward her.

Inuyasha growled and leaped from the spot where he had been frozen, and landed behind Kaori, his claws flexed. He was about to slash through the monster, when suddenly it disappeared, from sight. He whipped around, toward Kaori, where the yokai should have been, but it was not. Instead Kaori, held one of the swords in her hand gasping, as a stand of wire-like hair fell to the floor.

"Stupid.. Yokai.. " she panted, dropping the sword to the wooden floor. "..had to kill.. the main strand that.. controlled it.. before it.. would die.." She rested her forehead on the floor, panting, quickly falling into unconsciousness. Inuyasha broke the wood away from her mangled leg, and picked her up, dropping his fire rat kimono over her, and jumped back down the well. The fight wasn't over yet, but she wasn't safe from danger here either.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

"I'm fine! Look!"

"No you're not fine! You were just unconscious!"

"Yeah, but I'm not anymore!"

Kaede sat at the entrance of a small cave, ignoring the bickering teenagers behind her. Kaori stood, her hands on her hips, with Inuyasha's kimono falling past her waist and hands. Inuyasha on the other hand, was glaring back at the stubborn 16 year old, blocking her from leaving the cave.

"You only just woke up 15 minutes ago!" he shouted, "There's no way in hell you're alright!"

"Look at me!" Kaori demanded, spinning around once, "Do I look injured to you?"

Inuyasha didn't answer, and instead kept glaring at her petite form. She just looked so breakable, so fragile. There was no way she would be going anywhere. Kaori threw her hands up into the air and gave an exasperated sigh.

"Exactly! I am fine, Inuyasha!" she said, trying to stay calm.

"No you're not! And you're not coming!" Inuyasha shouted, whipping around to run into the forest before Kaori could refuse once more.

"OSUWARI!"

Inuyasha plummeted face-first into the ground, just before he was about the take off into the trees. "Damn wench," he growled through clenched teeth.

"Can I go?" Kaori asked, dropping her knees in front of him.

"NO!" he shouted.

"Osuwari! Can I go now?"

"No!"

"Osuwari.. Now?"

"NO, YOU STUPID WENCH!"

"OSUWARI! OSUWARI! OSUWARI!"

"Okay fine, stupid bitch!" he shouted leaping to his feet, "But if you die, don't blame me!" he turned his back on her, and stomped into the forest. Kaori turned to Kaede, a huge grin on her face.

"Be back soon, Onee-san!" she called jumping onto the back of the upset hanyo, "Don't move unless you possibly have to since you'll die if you won't...!"

"Keh! Why not just let her die?" Inuyasha muttered, "She's probably way past her time."

"Osuwari."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

Yes! I had won the battle between teenager and hanyo. It was obvious I would win, having the beads of subjugation on my side, but I could help but feel a bit smug. I had defeated the hair yokai on my own, I had managed to escape from the clutches of my overly-protective mother, I had stolen the two katanas that now resided at my hips, and now I had forced Inuyasha to let me help with the finding of the yokai that controls all this hair. It was a pretty productive day, if I do say so myself.

I leaded my head down to Inuyasha's ears, and they flicked as my breath tickled the fur. "You.. have a very bad temper."

He scoffed but continued running deeper into the forest.

"But..." I breathed, continuing to aggravate the cute little silver ears at the top of his ear. "...you have very cute ears."

Suddenly he stopped and dropped me into the mud just like before. He whipped around and towered over me, his eyes dark and angry. Ooooh, looks like I've strut a nerve.

"Never.." he growled, staring at me, "Call a guy cute."

"Why!" I whined jumping up and pulling on his ears. "Would you rather me call you ugly?"

He looked away grudgingly. "No.." he mumbled.

"Exactly!" I said patting his head, then pulling him deeper into the forest by his sleeve. "Now let's go find the boogie man, my darling little puppy inu-chan!"

"What the hell!" he snapped, "I'm not being your stupid pet, and besides, now isn't the time to be playing games!"

"Shush!" I whispered. Something had just rustled in one of the bushes beside us. "Did you see that?"

He was suddenly still, and I knew he was straining his ears to listen. Suddenly he pushed me back behind him, his claws flexed. I fell back into the mud, as whatever it was jumped out of the bush.

A little red-headed, kitsune kit, ran through Inuyasha's legs, looking terrified. He tried to run past me but I grabbed onto his pale orange tail and gently pulled him close. Tears streaked down the boys face as he trembled in fear. I clutched the boy to my chest and looked up at Inuyasha suspiciously, rubbing the little boy's head as her cried into Inuyasha's kimono. "This was what you were protecting me from? A little kitsune boy?"

"No, stupid girl!" he snapped, still standing protectively in front of me, "It's whats chasing that kid!"

Suddenly another lock of raven hair shot out from behind the bush, toward me and the little boy. The red-headed boy, yelped, and was about to jump from my hands, when Inuyasha leaped in front of the yokai and slashed it to bits.

The kid looked at me, then at Inuyasha. A second later, he broke out into tears.

"What the hell are you crying for!" Inuyasha yelled, "I just saved your life!"

"Oh shut up, Inuyasha!" I snapped, scooting away from him. "Can't you see he's scared to death!" I pulled out a small bag from my pocket. Inside was a mixture of sweets, and another plastic baggy, full of small chocolates.

"You eat it." I explained, handing the baggie over to the boy. "I was saving those for myself to eat when Inuyasha wasn't aroun-"

"Hey!" Inuyasha shouted, but I ignored him.

"You better enjoy them, those are all of my favourites." I said, a small encouraging smile on my face. The boy sat down on a log, and slowly started eating the candies, his pale face lighting up, as he popped a different sweet into his small mouth.

I sighed, getting to my feet, Inuyasha doing the same.

"Why the hell are you so glum?" he asked, rudely, as if he didn't care, but was asking anyways.

"Because those are my favourite.. and I just gave them all away. I wanted to have them to myself.. but I figured it would be the only way to get him to calm down enough to tell us who he is," I explained, staring longingly at the chocolates.

"But why the hell did you want to eat that shit when I wasn't here!" Inuyasha snapped, ignoring my misery.

"Because you would have wanted some, and dogs can't eat chocolate," I replied, walking to sit beside the kitsune on the log.

"I'M NOT A DOG!" Inuyasha shouted, but as usual I ignored him.

"So.. Do you mind if I ask who you are, exactly?" I asked, timidly.

"My.. name's Shippo.. I'm a kitsune yokai.. from around the.. uh.. around the mountains," he replied between sweets.

"I see.. But why are you here? Shouldn't you be at home with your family?" I asked. His face fell, and he stopped eating for a second. He looked up at me with watery emerald eyes. I felt a shot of pain shoot through my body, knowing what those eyes said. His family was dead.

"Sorry," I murmured, staring at my hands.

"But that's why I'm here. I heard that it was a yokai that can control dead peoples hair that killed them.. I've come for revenge," he explained, finishing off the candy.

Inuyasha scoffed and walked over to us. "Look kid, I don't know who the hell you think you are, but I bet you couldn't even injure a fly, let alone a yokai that had enough power to destroy your whole family!"

"Inuyasha!" I shouted, jumping to my feet. The look on my face must have been terrifying, for Inuyasha shrunk back a few steps, looking pale.

"That's why I need you two," Shippo said, "I need you guys to kill that yokai for me!"

"Hey, look kid! We have our own problems!" Inuyasha snapped, pushing past me.

"Are you stupid or what!" I shouted, pulling on his sleeve, making him direct his attention to me.

"What!" He hissed, looking annoyed.

"Don't you realize that Shippo is after the same yokai that we are!" I replied. He stared at me for a second, letting my words sink in.

"Who's Shippo?" Wow, he really was stupid.

"The kid!" I yelled, causing him to flinch.

"How am I supposed to know his stupid name!" He retorted, turning his back on Shippo.

"He just told us his name, you idiot!"

Inuyasha opened his mouth to say something, but was cut short when a small bug landed on his nose.

"Meoga-jii-chan!" I squealed, plucking the bug off Inuyasha just as he went to kill it. Inuyasha growled at me, obviously angry for some reason.

"Don't take that stupid guy away when I'm about to kill him!" he shouted, his ears pinned back. There was a big red hand in the middle of his face.

"Oh well sooooorry! But how was I supposed to know that you wanted to kill your pet flea!" I shouted back.

"I am not Inuyasha's pet, Kaori," The bug sighed, "That is actually quite offensive.."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Meoga-Jii-Chan.. But anyways Inuyasha-!"

"Excuse me!" Shippo shouted. We all turned toward him, forgetting about the bug in my hand. "Did you all forget about me!"

"Oh, sorry Shippo!" I called, "But just hold on one sec. Inuyasha, why the hell are you such a jerk all the time!"

"Me?" Inuyasha snapped, "Your the one who's being the jerk! You broke the jewel and still you whine whenever you don't get your own way!"

"I learnt it from you!"

"No! You learnt that from that stupid wench you call your sister!"

"Osuwari!"

Inuyasha fell face first into the mud, as usual. He glared at me, his face covered in mud, but his face quickly turned into one of fear. I stood towering over him, a death glare plastered over my face.

"How dare you!" I hissed, stepping forwards. He crawled backwards away from me as I advanced on him. "How dare you say that about Kikyo-onee-sama! What the hell is your problem, you stupid jerk! She loved you! And you loved her! I don't even know what happened, that set you on each other! But I wish you'd tell me! I'm not a little kid any more okay! I deserve to know the truth!"

A lump formed at the back of my throat, and I turned my back on them. Crying was a sign of weakness. I hated to be weak. But it wasn't fair. I was always being treated like a child, always being left out of things that really matter...

The sound of rustling leaves captured my attention. I whipped out the two katanas and cut through a lock of hair as it shot toward me.

"Wow, Kaori-sama. It seems your reflexes are better than ever before," The little flea, Meoga said jumping onto Inuyasha's shoulder. I had almost forgotten he was here.

"Why thank you, Meoga," I replied, turning around, picking Shippo off the ground, and walking deeper into the forest. I didn't even glance at the silver-haired boy trailing behind.

Meoga was Inuyasha's father's good friend.. at least he was until Lord Inu Tashio died, of course. But since then, the cowardly flea had popped in occasionally, giving Inuyasha minimal advice and news from across Japan. He always ran away when danger was around, which, by the time we stumbled across closely ranged webs of raven hair, had me wondering why exactly he was here now. He should know by the demonic aura radiation off the hair that there would be danger...

I glanced back, noticing Inuyasha and Meoga in deep conversation, maybe in an argument. But once they noticed me they stopped and looked away, continuing their conversation once they thought I wasn't paying any more attention.

I quickened my pace, disguised with the men behind me. Even after they knew how I felt, even after they knew I was old enough to know things that they knew.. they were still keeping secrets.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

"So, Inuyasha-sama," Meoga sighed, sitting cross-legged on the hanyo's shoulder. "It seems Kikyou-sama's youngest sibling has grown up into a fine young woman."

"Why are you mentioning that!" Inuyasha asked, slightly aggravated by the awkward topic.

"Well, Inuyasha-sama, if you haven't already noticed, she's almost inhumanly beautiful."

Inuyasha shrugged, "Are you sure we're looking at the same Kaori?"

Meoga sighed and shook his head. "You're an idiot..." he murmured, "Well to get to the point, it just so happens that the wolf demon clan to the east, had recently gotten a new leader."

"Yeah and what does that have to do with me or the wench's sister?" Inuyasha snapped in a hushed voice. He felt someones eyes on him and looked up. Kaori's large green orbs stared back at him, full of curiosity, and confusion. Inuyasha stopped short and stared straight ahead, past Kaori, and Shippo into the trees behind him. Meoga, inspected a splotch of mud on his pants, also having noticed Kaori's gaze.

Kaori scowled and snapped her head forwards, and stalked off into the forest in a huff, putting a great amount of distance between them. She looked betrayed, but Inuyasha couldn't do anything about it. He couldn't tell her what they were talking about, not now at least.

The point she had made about keeping things from her had been clear, but there still would be things that nobody would want to tell her. But that was the part, that she didn't seem to understand. Even though she wanted to be treated as an adult, she still acted like a child.

"Well.." Meoga whispered, once Kaori was out of ear shot, "Koga, the new leader of the eastern clan, is actually searching for the one who can see the Shikon No Tama, the news about the Shikon No Tama resurfacing in this world had spread fast. But Koga is searching for such a girl.. in hopes of making her his.. wife."

"WHAT!" Inuyasha was red in the face, either from rage or embarrassment. He quickened his pace, running until he caught sight of the miko's sister. He grabbed her by the back of the collar and pulled her back to be beside him.

"What do _you_ wan-"

"If someone came up to you right now and asked you to marry them, would you?" he demanded, ignoring the flea and fox yokai eavesdropping.

Kaori blinked in confusion, and then unemotionally she answered, "Yes."

Inuyasha let go of her and turned around, shocked. "She'd say yes?.. T-to a complete stranger? Bu-but w-hy?"

Kaori sighed and picked herself out of the mud as she usually did. "Oh my gosh, Inuyasha. I was just kidding. Can't you tell the difference between the truth.. and.. a joke..?" She trailed off staring at Inuyasha's back.

"Hey!" she snapped pulling his ears. "Why the sudden question!"

He didn't answer. Instead he stared into the trees. In a clearing up ahead was a small camp fire. He started walking toward it, Kaori at his heels, demanding him to tell her what his problem was. Meoga and the kitsune yokai, Shippo, hid themselves in the folds of Inuyasha's Kimono that was still on the girl.

The area around the campfire was drenched in blood, and several head-less bodies, were scattered about the trees. The small clearing was covered in glowing, wire-like hair, that was now dripping of the humans blood.

"Struck down warriors," Inuyasha said, placing his finger on one of the hairs, snapping it in half, "Looks like they got caught in the 's some bad luck. Their heads are missing...Hn?" he noticed Kaori, who was trembling slightly, staring wide-eyed at the gruesome seen before her. Her face was pale, and little beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

"What are you crouching down there for?" he asked suspiciously, "Don't tell me you want to go home 'cause you're scared or something."

Kaori looked at him and nodded slightly. He growled and crouched down beside her. "Well to bad! You're not going home, you're the one who wanted to chase after this stupid yokai after all. So stop being such a scaredy cat and lets go!"

"What the hell is you're problem!" Kaori snapped, her voice quivering. "Feeling scared is a natural human feeling! Would you rather I be more abnormal than I already am! Besides I can't help it if you're totally fearless of everything, because you're to stupid to figure out how very dangerous something may be. And so what if I'm scared, I'm not going home!"

* * *

°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

Night. The most eerie time of the day. It wasn't like I was scared, but it wasn't like I was unafraid, Inuyasha was with me, and as usual, when I was around him my fear disappeared knowing full well that he would never, ever let someone defeat him. It was just impossible, at least in his eyes.

I had instructed Meoga to take Shippo back to the cave where Kaede resided. I could tell by the looks on their faces when they left, that they were relived to be far away from the fighting, and Inuyasha looked relived that they would be out of his way.

But now that I think of it. This would be the first time I would fight along side Inuyasha as an equal, instead of being sent away to safety. I had already fought yokai since coming here but never with an 'okay' from Inuyasha. But it was strange how he could go from almost over-protective to under-protective in just a few hours. I wonder what changed?

Inuyasha was running, faster than I had ever seen, while I clung to him, trying not to fall off.

"Would you stop holding on so hard!" he snapped, "You're making it hard to breath!"

I murmured an apology and loosened my grip only to find myself falling backwards. A gasp escaped my lips and I wrapped my arms around his neck again. "Sorry.. but I'll fall if I don't hold on tight. I'm still not used to this."

My stomached flip-flopped as he leaped into the air, following the trail of hair. Suddenly a lock of it shot towards us, wrapping itself around his left wrist. Three more attacked, wrapping themselves around his ankles and right hand.

I didn't let go. I couldn't let go. I was scared of falling to the ground that seemed miles away. I was scared of leaving him alone as well.

"Let go Kaori!" Inuyasha snapped, trying to pry my arms from around his neck.

"I can't!" My voice barely came out in a whisper.

"Do you want to die! Do you wanna lose your arms, 'cause I'll chop them off if you won't let go!" he threatened.

"No.."

"Then let go!"

Suddenly my strength was gone, and I fell to the earth. I couldn't see him anymore, only the rocks, and branches that scratched my face. My hands shot out to grab hold of something. They found something thread like, with rocks full of holes. I grabbed onto one of the rocks, stopping myself from falling any further.

My eyes started adjusting to the dark, while my heart hammered away in my chest. The rocks I had found weren't rocks.. they were skulls! I took in a shaky breath, trying to keep myself from letting go.

I looked around, trying to keep my eyes away from the ivory skulls, and raven hair. I spotted Inuyasha, who was now a few feet below me, glaring at a pale woman, with shoulder length raven hair, wearing a extremely skimpy dress, even one that would be considered too short in my time.

She stood on a wire hair, several strands wrapped around her fingers.

"Oh my," she gasped, looking from me to Inuyasha. Her voice was high and very feminine. "What splendid prey I've caught!"

Inuyasha looked up at me, and then he looked back at the woman, scowling. I guess his plan to get rid of me didn't work as well as he had wanted it to.

"You're Inuyasha aren't you?" The woman asked, diverting her attention away from me. I guess I was of no threat.. or maybe I just wasn't that important enough.

"And you're that Sakasa-gami No Yura bitch, I heard of you.. How do you know of me?" Inuyasha questioned, also ignoring me.

"You have gained quite a reputation among the oni, you know," she replied with a slight chuckle. "Inuyasha.. the hanyo who acts as a lapdog for the sister of that wretched Kikyo.. and we all know you intend to collect the shards of the Shikon No Tama."

"Wha?" Inuyasha gasped. "I'm that monkey-girl's lapdog! Screw you!"

Monkey.. girl? Just because I'm dangling off a hair and skull thing, doesn't mean I'm a MONKEY! I hate it when he insults me while defending himself!

"Are the two of you going to interfere?" Yura asked, "I'll just kill you both, then, just in case. Then I can collect these at my leisure." She held up a fragment of the jewel, larger than mine. My hand shot into my pocket, searching for the small fragment that had cut me. My fragment was gone! The Yura girl smiled at me, and held out her hand toward a lock of hair. It dropped a small shard into her hand, and she placed it with the others. She'd stolen my shard!

"You're gonna kill me huh?" Inuyasha hissed, "Heh, you'll see.." He leaped toward her, his claws flexed, snapping the hair the bound him in one place. "I'll make you regret ever coming near me!"

He swiped his claws toward her, but she dodged it. She pulled out a red bone comb, and moved it through the air. Strands of raven hair shot from it, wrapping itself around Inuyasha once more, binding him together.

He growled and pulled on the locks that bound him. "Shit, what a nuisance."

I had never felt more helpless. I watched as the two fought, Inuyasha continuing to break the hair, while Yura attacking him with a sword that could be wield without touching it. A sword.. My swords!

I jumped to a cliff a few feet below me, pulling out one of the katanas at my side. I would have done better with a bow and some arrows, but I had been trained in sword fighting when I was little by travelling warriors. It was time to test how very good I could be.

I raised the katana above my head, and brought it downwards at a wire strand. But then I felt the shape of the sword change in my hand, as the sword was thrust downwards. The next thing I knew, I was holding a silver bow. The bow looked silver, but it was as light as air, silvery vines grew grew around it. It was already loaded with a white arrow with what seemed to be a diamond arrow head, that waited patiently to be shot. It was strange, my katana transformed into a bow and arrow just as I had wished it..

I aimed for Yura, hoping to hit her on the first shot like I had with the demon crow. I pulled back the string and let it fly but the arrow changed direction, cutting through the hair that bound Inuyasha together instead. I growled. What was the point of even cutting the hair? It was just gonna come back.

Inuyasha leaped to the ground beside me, glaring. "Watch where you're aiming Monkey-girl! You almost killed me!"

"Oh! Shut up!" I snapped, "Just prepare yourself, doggie boy, to be bound again, its not like my arrow did anything anyway."

Seconds passed. Nothing.

"Wench!" Yura screeched, lunching toward me. My arrow stuck out of her chest, and the webs of hair in the clearing seemed to be limp. Maybe my arrow had done more than I thought..?

She shoved Inuyasha off the small cliff, onto the ground a few feet down, where she sent fresh locks of raven hair after him. But the strange thing was.. they wouldn't touch him. It was like in the shrine. The hair would attack, but as soon as it got to close or it touched you it would snap back in pain. Maybe my arrow had created some sort of holy barrier around him?

"You'll pay for ruining my plan like that!" Yura hissed. Flames engulfed me, fiery, red, hot flames. I whimpered and fell to my knees, the flames licked my exposed skin. It was..so hot.. too hard to breath.

"Kaori!" Someone shouted.. but who? The voice was familiar but alien at the same time. I pulled my body under Inuyasha's kimono, waiting for the pain.. Waiting to die.. But there was no pain.. and no death. Only the intensifying heat from the flames, reminded me I was engulfed in fire.

I raised my head, weak from lack of oxygen. I was on a blanket of skeletal hair and skulls. Where was Yura? Where was Inuyasha? I looked around but saw and heard nothing but the flames surrounding me. My bow was gone but replaced with the katana in my hand. But something red caught my eye. I pulled it closer to me, inspecting it. It was a skull, but at this moment I wasn't freaked out by that, but it was red, crimson red.

I stared hearing other voices.

"You bitch.."

"Are you sad? Poor thing. Not even her bones will remain."

I heard a growl, then, "Hijin Ketsusou!"

Blades of blood..? Inuyasha!

"My hand.. you should be more gentle with a lady!"

I didn't have much more time to think. I raised my katana, over the red skull. Somehow this one had to be special, or else it wouldn't be different than all the rest, right? I thrust the sword down into the skull. I heard Yura gasp seconds later.

The fire dissipated. I could see everything now. Yura was missing her right hand, and she had a large gaping hole in her chest, but she wasn't bleeding. She stared at me, a blank expression on her pale face. Inuyasha was no where to be seen. I looked down at the skull.

It was shattered, but my sword had pierced something else as well. Another red bone comb had been hidden inside. Yura's body turned to dust as I applied more pressure to the comb snapping it in half.

The only thing that remained was her clothes and sword. I jumped to my feet, looking around for Inuyasha. I tripped on the skulls and slide down the mountain of bones face first.

"What are you doing?"

I opened my eyes. Inuyasha stood towering over me, drenched in blood, leaning against the rock wall of the cliff behind him. I walked over to him, inspecting his wounds. He had multiple gashes on his chest and back, four or five to be exact. His hand was covered in blood, my necklace with a large Shikon shard around his finger.

"Your hurt.." My voice trembled.

"I'm fine." He replied, walking away. I grabbed onto his shoulder and pulled him back.

"No you're not-"

He fell over in pain. I looked at my hand, to see it was covered in his blood. I had caused him more pain. I looked down at him. He wasn't moving. I screamed and pulled at my hair. "Ahhhhhhhh! He's gonna die! I killed him! He's dead! Gone! Forever! Ahhhhhh!"

"What is it Kaori-sama!" Meoga followed by Shippo, came running up to me. I grabbed Shippo's shoulders and shook him.

"I killed Inuyasha! He was fine! Then I touched him and now he's dead!" I dropped Shippo and stared waving my arms around frantically, running in circles. "Meoga I killed him! I murdered him, Shippo! I did it! It's my fault! He's gonna hate me now! I'm going to hell! I'm a murderer! HE 'S DEAD! HE DIED! HE'S MET DEATH!-"

I felt someone grab my sleeve and I fell to my knees beside Inuyasha. "I'm not dead, idiot." He hissed. "Stop being so dramatic."

"Wahhh! Inuyasha, you're alive!"


	4. Capture

A/N: Hmm I noticed that a lot of stuff happens in one day for my story.. oh well. review guys! It helps make this story better o: Date: sept 14- 15

* * *

**You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.**

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I Do Not Own Inuyasha

* * *

4. Capture

I pulled the freshly washed kimono over my body and tied it tightly to fit. I brushed out my dripping hair and pulled it over the clean white towel draping my shoulders. A bath in the feudal era wasn't as comforting, what with the wooden basin and the water having to be warmed by fire, but it was nice to be clean nonetheless. I thanked God for giving me the brains to think to bring along my soaps and necessities and now I would never be without the comforts of home.

It had been just a few hours since the battle with Yura. My leg was properly bandaged, though healing quickly, as were a few other scraps and whatnot. Inuyasha, however was refusing any first aid. What an idiot. He might be hanyo but it would still keep his clothes from getting all bloody if he would just wear a few bandages for a night. He just didn't get it.

I sighed and rubbed my hair till it was damp, brushed it again, then stepped out into the night. The cool air brought bumps to my arms and flushed my cheeks. A shiver crept through my body, and I forced my teeth together to keep them from chattering. The air smelt of rain and ice, but the cold was refreshing after melting in the hair yokai's fire.

I made my way to back to Kaede's hut, where I was sure a warm bed and some dinner was waiting for me, but I hesitated as I heard my name float through the door.

".. and what does Kaori think of this Koga?" I heard Kaede say.

I pressed my ear to the wall, close to the door, my curiosity getting the better of me. Who was Koga?

"Kaori-sama has yet to find out." Meoga.

"Why is that? Surely she should know if this yokai is determined to marry her?"

My heart skipped. A yokai, this Koga, wants to marry me? I pressed myself harder against the wood, trying to catch every word.

"Keh!" Inuyasha. I held my breath. "Why should we tell her? She'd just go marry the guy!"

Kaede murmured something I couldn't catch.

"You wanna bet? I just asked her, a few hours ago! She said she would!"

My heart was racing, I was trying so hard not to breath. Secrets. This is what they were talking about in the forest, wasn't it? I wouldn't go marry a stranger, this 'Koga' guy! I should be able to know! In this mood I thought to barge right in and demand answers, but my legs stayed put.

"I know some things about the wolf-clans," Shippo peeped.

I bit my lip. Even Shippo was aware of the events having to do with me, and we had barely even met him.

"What does ye know, child?" Kaede asked.

"They live up in packs in the mountains, where I used to live. They think they're supreme, wolf yokai.." Shippo said, a bit nervous, "and bully other yokai out of their homes. Smaller yokai like me had to leave the mountains because they claimed the land as their territory and continue to control it ruthlessly."

"Do you know anything about Koga, Shippo-sama?" asked Meoga, intrigued.

Shippo was silent for a moment, "Well.. there are many clans of wolf yokai.. He must just be some upstart kid who took control of a tribe."

"Tch, he doesn't sound so tough." Inuyasha growled, "All we have to do is just kill him and then it's done with!"

"Calm yourself, Inuyasha. Wolf yokai are not just that simple," said Kaede, "They're yokai who control wolves, wolves themselves in fact, yet they disguise themselves as humans. They are wild."

"Wild or not, he's after the Shikon shards, and I'll stop at nothing to make sure no one get's in my w-"

I froze. Inuyasha went silent, as did the room. I realized as a warm wet liquid flooded upon my lips that I had been biting down on them a little too hard, my heart beating a little too fast, and now blood was spilling from the small open wound. I swallowed nervously, as the seconds ticked by.

I counted to ten and no one had come outside to check.. I carefully pried myself off the wall, and brought upon my best poker face. Don't let them know you were eavesdropping.. as much as the secrets hurt, they still can't know.. Then I let myself get as noisy as I could possibly get and made my way into their meeting.

They sat around an open fire, dinner not made, a bed not ready for me. I fought back the urge to cry.

"Tired?" asked Kaede, sympathetic.

I nodded as my eyes wandered slowly over the others, and lingered upon Inuyasha. He still looked weak, but he returned my gaze with a glare. I frowned.

"What?"

He didn't respond.

I curled my fingers tightly together to make fists, then relaxed them telling myself I couldn't drop the act. They couldn't know. There was a reason why this was being hidden from me, wasn't there? I had to give them the benefit of the doubt.. didn't I?

"I'm just gonna go take a walk," I muttered, heading back out the door.

"Inuyasha, join her," Kaede ordered.

"No it's alright, I can go alone," I said over my shoulder. I wanted to be alone anyways..

"Inuyasha."

Inuyasha growled, "She said she wants to go alone!"

"Exactly," I stepped into the cool night once more without another word, my breath seeping from my lips in a silvery mist. Anger coursed through every inch of my body and I fought back the urge to hit something. Secrets! More of them. Always! I'm just never good enough, old enough, to know anything! If maybe I knew things then I could better equip myself, I wouldn't always be so vulnerable!

I looked around in frustration wondering where to go. I noticed a light on top of a hill. It flickered brightly, casting a shadow onto it's surroundings. To get to the hill, it seemed, you had to go up a stone stair case.

My curiosity got the better of me and I forgot all about the others in the hut behind. I made my way toward the shimmering light careful not to make any sounds. By the time I reached the steps, my cheeks were flushed. It had been farther than I thought it would have been. My ears were flooded with the sounds of the night, crickets, nocturnal animals and birds, and the odd twig snapping in two. I heard the sound of wolves in the distance, howling up at the moon, and the far away sounds of battle. For some reason this didn't creep me out at all, or even catch my interest. I was too absorbed in the light, beckoning me from the top of the steps.

I followed.

I reached the top in no time. Above me stood a tall red square shaped wooden arch. Before me, secluded by many tall trees, were the grounds of a small shrine. The shine was no bigger than a shack, and not unlike the well house back home, on top it sat a lantern, with a small golden flame flickering inside. But before it was a small urn, or a marvellous wooden structure marking a grave. It looked to be an even tinier shrine, no bigger than 5 feet high, with a stone base.

Delicate pink flowers slept in the ground before it and I felt a chaos erupt in the pit of my heart. It beat faster and a lump formed in the back of my throat. Dark shapes appeared before my eyes and I stumbled a little.

In the black spots my sister's face, Kikyo's face, appeared. It engulfed me and the memory of that fateful day flashed before my eyes. I broke out into a cold sweat and fell to my knees. Why.. was I reacting this way? It felt like my soul.. was being tortured. Was this.. Kikyo's grave?

_"Nii-Chan, wake up! Wake up Inuyasha-Onii-Chan! You can't be.. You've gotta wake up!"_

Suddenly I was filled with a bitter jealousy as these words echoed inside my head. I dug my fingers into the dirt floor, gasping for breath.

"K..Kikyo..!" I gasped, "Onee-sama.. I'm sorry!"

The chaos let me go, only barely, but the dim feelings of a broken heart and bitter jealousy lingered within my heart. I stumbled to my feet, as quickly as I possibly could and raced from that place, that shrine. Kikyo's.. soul or remains or whatever were reacting with my own. Possibly because she still had unfinished business, was still holding onto things she had felt when she died? I knew going to, crying for, his death probably had hurt her.. a lot.. but.. I was six..

I tripped and fell down the last step, scraping my cheek along the dirt ground. Ugh... what was wrong with this night?

"Baka.." I heard someone sneer, "What are you doing?"

I looked up, and caught Inuyasha's irritated gaze. I tried to respond, but I couldn't find my voice, it was trapped under my heaving breath.

He growled and turned to leave, but in a panic my hand snatched his pant leg and he paused.

"Don't.. leave me," I wheezed, lifting myself to my knees.

He turned back to me, with a smirk, and I was sure, or maybe it was just my imagination, that his eyes flashed a crimson red..

"You truly are a idiot. A weak, pathetic, trusting human girl."

My heart lurched and I let go of his kimono, "What..?"

A clawed hand snatched my hair and yanked upwards, causing me to cry out in pain. Another hand snatched the two Shikon shards around my neck, and I heard him chuckle, "Did you honestly think I'd let you get in my way? The jewel is something to precious for someone such as _you_ to hold in their possession."

The world went dark for a split second, then blinded me with a flash of golden light. Pain scorched my shoulders and torso, as I was thrown to the ground.

My body trembled, and yet I found the strength to lift myself again, "Inuyasha..?" My voice shook as I did.

He was gone.

I collapsed, but rolled onto my stomach, my hands covering my mouth, trying to keep the breath in.. trying to keep back the tears.

What was happening..? Inuyasha.. betrayed me? No. That couldn't have been him but.. who else could it have been..? I stared up at the stars, half expecting, half hoping, he would come back.. that this all was a dream.. a part of Kikyo's message to me.. but he didn't and I didn't wake up.

I turned my head to stared at the spot where he disappeared. All I noticed was the splatter of my blood, contrasting against the dark brown earth, sparkling hauntingly in the moon light. That wasn't.. that couldn't be.. Inuyasha. Where was the real Inuyasha? He.. should have smelt my blood by now, I was still.. in the village.. so.. why wasn't he here? Why..? Was it because.. that had.. been.. Inuyasha?

I choked, and sputtered into a coughing fit. Rolling onto my side I lifted myself up, and took a wobbly step toward which ever way I thought he had left. It wasn't.. him. I stopped coughing and looked at my hand. Blood. I spat it out, and stepped toward the forest, ignoring the sharp knives of pain digging deeper into my skin as I moved.

I had to find.. out the answer.

I made it to the edge of the forest. I pulled back branches out of my way, breathing too heavily.. you could tell right away that I was dying.. but for any yokai lurking in the bushes.. that would have already been obvious by the scent of my blood.

I took a step, but I couldn't find the ground. I swung my arms out in front of me to protect me from the fall but instead I was met with something warm and fuzzy.. The warm fuzzy thing caught me and held me close. I froze. A yokai.

"Found you."

I pulled back, my arms flailing to hit whatever was about to kill me. But strong hands grasped my wrists, holding them tightly above my head. My voice broke as I screamed, the pain being unbearable in this position.

"L-lemme go! Lemme go!" I struggled, half in a whisper, "Inuyasha.. Kaede.. Help me.." I opened my eyes, and found my vision blurry. I was crying.. Inuyasha wouldn't come for me, who was I kidding..? He did this to me..

A dark figure watched me carefully, almost frustrated. A look not unlike one I've been met with before.. but a face oh so unfamiliar.

He was of a darker complexion. His ears pointed and elf-like. His eyes were a piercing icy blue and his long dark hair was pulled back into a pony-tail.

I was frozen in my own shock. My eyes wide, the tears no longer flowing. The breath escaped my lips putting a foggy mist between us and I could no longer feel my pain.

I heard the sound of wolves at my feet, circling, growling viciously. I could feel their furs and their hot sticky, hungry breath, on my legs.

My mind flashed back to the conversation I had eavesdropped on.. A man who controlled the wolves..

"Koga..?"

He smirked, baring sharp ivory fangs, "Hey."

I gasped, pushed forward then snapped back. He lost grip on my arms and I spun around racing back into the village. No! I wouldn't be married! I wasn't going to be eaten by, by this _thing_!

But a warm arm pulled me around the waist and I was lifted into the air, high above the village.

"You're mine," he said.

I screamed. He had me over his shoulder, only holding me with one arm. I was facing the ground, facing my death.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU, LET ME GO! DON'T EAT ME!" I cried.

He growled as he leaped through the forest, "Stop screaming in my ears, damnit! Don't panic!"

"I will scream!" I snapped back at him, no longer feeling any of my pain. My heart raced in my chest and I screamed as loud as I could possibly manage.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

"It's Koga!"

"The young master's back!"

Two rough voices brought me from a daze. I was weak, bleeding too much had thrown me into an almost unconscious state. My throat ached from screaming, and my kidnapper's face was now in permanent determined I'm-Gonna-Kill-This-Girl face. I was limp on his shoulder, practically already dead.

I looked up. It was day. The birds chirped and there was a river below, and a tall cascade of water before us. Cliffs jutted out from the water fall and two fur clothed men sat on on of these cliffs, holding a spear each. I guessed they were the ones who had shouted..

I panicked as Koga sped up through the water fall and I screamed again as the icy cold water pierced my skin. "That was cold, damnit!"

"We're back."

I looked around, the water dripping down my face, shivering. We were in a cave, dark, and spacious. It smelt of wet dog and my nose wrinkled in disgust. The water behind painted unique patterns upon the walls and about a hundred hungry, yokai faces, leered up at me.

"Ooh!" One of them gasped. He had dark black marks under his colourless eyes, and his grey hair was cut into a spiky mohawk. Unlike the others he was dressed in more armour than fur and a chain was thrown over his shoulders, "That's a tasty looking girl you have there."

"P-please let us eat her too," another pleaded. Numerous scars covered this one's face and he was more fur than armour.. also.. his teeth and fangs took up half of his face.

I gulped.

"This girl ain't food!" Koga snapped, "Anyone who eats her will die."

The men suddenly became afraid and backed away from us.

Koga set me carefully on my feet, and I looked at him, speechless. This time I had a better look at him as well. He had barely a pupil, all it was just a slit, cat-like you could say. He was young looking, and tall, but unlike the others he barely had the slightest hint of any demonic markings upon his face, only touching lightly around his eyes, though it was barely noticeable. He looked normal, unlike most of the others as well.. humanistic yokai.

He, though, also sported a lot of furs. This included a dark brown fur head-band, fury shoulder plates, and a dark brown fur pelt wrapped around his waist, arms and legs. Though on his left arm the pelt seemed to be ripped and only covered his wrist. The souls of his feet were supported by white bandages, and his torso was protected by silver and black armour. He also had a katana at his hip and a long, dark brown tail.

Brown wolves circled me and I flinched. Their ears suddenly twitched and they ran back to Koga.

"Though you cannot eat her.." he pulled out something from behind him, "You can have him."

"Kaori!"

The little red headed kitsune squealed as Koga tossed him aside and the wolves chased after him.

"I picked him up at the village, he was lurking around in the shadows. I have no use for him."

"Shippo!" How had he managed to get here? I took a step toward him, but suddenly pain stabbed at me from all sides and I collapsed.

"Kaori! You two, attend to her!" Koga ordered. He picked me up and laid me down upon something soft.. a large bed of furs.

"Don't let them eat Shippo.." I gasped, "Or else.."

He frowned but left my line of vision. I gasped, closing my eyes tightly together.. How had I forgotten this pain..? How had I even managed to survive for so long..?

I felt the presence of two large figures looming over me and I forced my eyes to open. The mohawk guy who wanted to eat me and another yokai who had grey and dark blue hair watched me carefully.

"Here," Koga came back, dropping Shippo onto the furs beside me.

"Kaori!" Shippo squeaked, "Are you alright?"

"Yes.." I lied.. just before the darkness engulfed me.

I dreamed of the events before, but with my own thoughts included. You could say it wasn't much of a dream but it was. My thoughts drifted in and out of the events, trying to piece together everything that had happened.

Inuyasha's betrayal.. I couldn't explain that.. he stole my Shikon shards.. But if Shippo had been following me, somewhere I hadn't noticed.. then surely he must know the truth..?

When I awoke, I could no longer feel the pain. I looked around me, noticing white bandages around my shoulders and torso. I flushed.. they would've had to take off my shirt.. Ugh.. I looked around embarrassed hoping that I wasn't been stared at with lecherous gazes.. but I didn't meet any.. I didn't even meet any looks at all.

What I did see however was everyone was crowded in front of the waterfall, someone commanding to make room for the injured. I lifted myself, and searched the furs for Shippo. I met his emerald gaze and pulled him to me.

"Them again?" Koga's voice echoed in the cave and my attention was brought back to them. I searched for my kimono top. I found it, but I frowned as I noticed how cut up and bloody it was. I ripped off one of the sleeves, all the blood that was on there, and threw it on, carefully tying it in places to covered everything but keep it from falling.

I stood up carefully, one arm and shoulder bare.

"They were suddenly attacked during guard duty. Only these two managed to escape, the others fell off the cliff.."

I took a step, accidentally kicking a stone. Those watching spun around to look at me, and I caught a glimpse of two very bloody, injured men, being tended to by three yokai each.

I looked at them and swallowed nervously. My eyes scanned them and then suddenly, I was drawn to look at Koga's legs more closely.. He had three shards! I gasped. One in each of his legs and his arm. "You have Shik-!"

"They're called the Gokuraku-Chou," Koga said motioning for everyone else turned back to the injured. He was ignoring my words, though surely he heard me. He made his way over to me, and I stumbled back, down upon my warm fur bed. I was suddenly afraid, "and we, the yokai wolf-clan. Are their natural enemy."

He sat down in front of me, his blue eyes watching me with a stern, serious gaze. He showed no signs of embarrassment or having seen.. me and I forced those thoughts from my mind. As long as they didn't act like something happened, then nothing did..

"The Gokuarku-Chou's boss has Shikon shards. On top of that, many of my friends have been eaten by them. They swoop down silently, and capture them with their sharp talons."

"Birds did that..?" I murmured, my eyes never leaving the soft pink glow on his arm and legs. How had I not noticed this before? Was it because I has been injured by.. I forced his name from my mind.. He.. He didn't matter to me anymore..

"They're very big.. and don't look much like birds," Koga replied, "We'll attack their nest , and steal the shard. We won't make senseless sacrifices. Just that one bird with the shard at once.. and since only moments ago you've proved to me of your power.. you are to tell me which of them it is."

I glared at him. I was no good with orders. But inside I was relieved. Back there they had all said I was to marry him. He was showing no signs of a long term commitment. He just needed me for this and afterwards he would, hopefully let me go?

I had to work with that assumption.. and not the one from before.. "Fine."


	5. The Man Who Fell In Love With Kaori

A/N: Hmm I wonder if this is getting confusing now? Lol, oh well I hope you enjoyy. Datess: sept 15

* * *

**You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.**

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I Do Not Own Inuyasha

* * *

5. The Man Who Fell In Love With Kaori

I sat in the corner, my knees brought to my chest. Shippo stood on them, facing the others, his arms opened wide, protectively. He was trembling and I could hear him muttering quietly under his breath: "I gotta protect Kaori."

I found this adorable, though completely unnecessary. I knew they wouldn't eat us right now, but Shippo's efforts.. I could feel myself falling in love with this little ball of fur. He was so much better than Souta.. telling me not to go into the well house, pfft.

"Hey Shippo.." I murmured. The boy stopped trembling and turned to face me, "No one.. saw right?"

I couldn't lie to myself and say that I could pretend that nothing happened if they acted like nothing happened, who was I trying to kid? I wasn't like that..

Shippo shook his head.

"So no one..?"

"He killed the ones who seen."

I was stunned to silence. He.. killed.. them? I remembered back to those faces who had loomed over me before. They were gone? I couldn't tell whether or not I thought this a good thing..

"Of course I did," I jumped in surprise as Koga sat down beside me, dropping a large boar at my feet, "they tried to eat you after all."

I blinked. Tried to eat me too? I searched for those two faces, but I seen them.. so it wasn't them then? I noticed though, the all teeth guy was gone.. Ugh.

"Besides, I can't have those guys looking at _my_ woman."

"WHAT! I THOUGHT THEY WERE ONLY RUMOURS!" I was on my feet in an instant, backing away from the young yokai lord. I snatched Shippo and made him face me, my hands trembling, "Shippo, Shippo you can escape right, lead Inuy.. I mean Kaede here! Can't you? Do SOMETHING?"

"I can tr-"

"Rumours?" Koga was in front of me.

I yelped and backed up some more, my head hitting the cavern wall, "Y-yes.." I clenched my eyes together and muttered stupidly to myself, "That stupid flea, that stupid flea, those stupid people I should have been included!"

"Stupid.. flea?" Koga repeated, "Ahh, you mean that stupid old yokai flea who had attached himself to one of my wolves to spy on us! You were behind that?"

"No.. He did that on his own I guess, I wasn't.. even informed.." This proved it. Meoga must have come at that time.. that time in the forest about Koga's intentions after spying and whatnot. But.. still why did they keep it from me? If they had told me, treated me like a normal human being.. I wouldn't have gotten so upset and walked off.. I wouldn't be here right now. But.. _he_ knew.. and he.. he wouldn't protect me.. neither did any of them in fact.. they still left me.. He still tried to kill me.. He still stole my Shikon fragments..

I covered my face with my hands as the tears started to spill. "Baka.. Inuyasha.. Why..?"

"Inuyasha..?" Koga pulled my hands from my face, staring at me curiously.

"Don't!" I hissed, through my tears, "Touch me."

"Who is this 'Inuyasha'?" he wouldn't let go.

"I said! Don't touch me!" I pulled back again, and once more his grip was lost on my wrists. My hand came down, sharply across his face with a loud _smack_.

I heard the tribe gasp in horror.

"She slapped Koga.."

I looked around, there were all frozen in shock, staring at me wide-eyed. I swallowed nervously, hoping Koga wouldn't snap out of it. He stared back at me confused, slightly rubbing the place where my hand had made impact.

"Uhm.. Shippo.." I whispered to the kitsune on my shoulder, "Time to go!"

I pushed my legs as fast as they could go, toward the face entrance. Leaping through the ice cold water I almost slipped on the grass below, but managed to catch traction before that was possible. I raced down the mountain path, praying I wouldn't fall.

In the distance I heard someone finally notice I was gone and I sped up even more.

"Kaori! Where are we going?" Shippo cried, holding onto my arm for dear life.

"I don't know! Away!" I replied, panting, "Shippo, quickly, tell me the powers you've got! Anything that will help!"

"I can lead someone to us with screaming mushrooms!" he squeaked, as I jumped off a large boulder to a grassy patch below, "I.. I can expand and fly.."

"Good!" I tried to quicken my pace, but my legs burned and pain prickled up my body as my wounds re-opened. "Now, another thing! You.. were watching in the darkness.. weren't you? So.. please.. Was that.. Inuyasha?"

He was quiet and my heart raced, now from anxiety.. "I don't know.. Kaori-chan," he admitted. I felt like the breath was pushed from my lungs at this and my pace slowed, "After.. you left everyone was called out as Koga's wolves attacked the village, all the way on the other side. It was a distraction to get to you."

I remembered the howling wolves, the sounds of battle.

"Inuyasha went with them, and I looked for you.. I.. I never liked him anyway!"

I forced a laugh, and pushed myself forward again.

We came to a cliff, and off in the distance I could hear the barking wolves and shouting men, telling each other which way I'd gone.

"Okay, Shippo," I said, plucking him from my arm, "It's time to prove your worth!"

I flung him off the edge, and he screamed in terror for a moment as he fell.. but then suddenly with a loud pop and a cloud of purple smoke, he turned into a large pink bubble with eyes and floated away. I hoped he would understand and go back to the village, find Kaede, tell her everything that had happened and she would come to rescue me..

"There she is!"

I spun around, coming face to face with the tribe, Koga in the lead. I took a step toward the cliff, pointing at Shippo's retreating figure.

"You see him! He's gonna tell what you did!" I shouted like a child. They were fazed by it in the least, I knew they wouldn't be.

"Tell whom exactly?" Koga asked me, smirking. Ugh did he find this funny or something? Stupid wolf guy. "Not that, Inuyasha, or whatever."

That name again.. A lump appeared at the back of my throat and I took another step, back toward the edge. My heart beat heavily in my chest and I lowered my gaze to the ground. I held the open wounds now bleeding down my front soaking my kimono, returning pain back to my consciousness. "Inuyasha..?"

I could feel the tribes eyes on me, I could sense their anticipation, waiting for Koga to give the word to kill me. I wasn't worth keeping alive, he would say, I was treacherous and after they won the battle with these 'birds' whatever they looked like, they could have a feast and I.. I would be the main course.

But these words didn't leave Koga's mouth. Instead he was the only non-hostile presence I could feel. I heard him take a step towards me and I braced myself for the assumption I knew.. if he was smart.. that he would make.

"Don't tell me, this Inuyasha guy, was that same guy from before?" he asked.

I shut my eyes, I didn't wanna hear this from him, or anyone else. It was bad enough in my own mind, I didn't wanna hear the words out loud.

"That baka who tried to kill you?"

"Shut up," I muttered, turning my head to look down at the earth's surface oh so far below me. The fall seemed almost welcoming.. maybe I should..

"That bastard.." Koga growled. This surprised me and my gaze was brought instantly back to him, "I'll kill him for what he did."

Something strange came over me then. A weird nervous feeling, that caused my heart to sputter and race. Maybe.. Koga wasn't so bad?

But then, at that moment as I came to this new revelation, a loud screech pierced the silence. It was low and menacing, obviously from something large. A dark shadow blocked out the sun, and the tribe went into a panic. They dove into the cracks in the face of the mountain and Koga raced forward, snatching me in his arms then leaped off the edge, into an unknown, small, cavern.

He held me close and I peered out into the light, watching as a dark round ball with wings flew by. It's feathers were grey and matted as if covered in oil. The creature was as large as any elephant, though looked to be a bird without a head. It's round middle was white though a pair of large colourless eyes and a large fanged mouth proved it was more than just the body. On top of this was a figure that looked to be the torso and head of a human. Though it's complexion was blue and instead of hands they had three-toed talons.

"Those are..?"

"The Gokuarku-Chou," Koga answered, "They must've smelt your blood, it's brought them out."

"Oh.. well that's great.." I murmured.

"Mn, kay, let's go," he grabbed me again and leaped out of the cavern, and up the mountain side. I watched in pain as the others below leaped from their hiding places, attacking the birds as they past. Eventually everything was an all out war and blood painted the grey stone canvas.

As Koga stood upon a large boulder a weird feeling told me something was behind us. I squirmed around. In the rock.. no behind the rock, on the other side, was a jewel shard.

The rock started cracking, and the jewel shard behind it was getting closer.

"Koga.. LOOK OUT!" I screamed, just in time too, for as the rock blew apart, Koga had only missed the creature that had emerged by mere inches. It was another Gokuarku bird.. though ten times larger than its friends, also, with two blue figures instead of just one.

This one had the jewel shard.

The bird chuckled as we landed roughly upon another boulder. I hissed as the wound upon my stomach was touched with dust and small rocks.. "Damnit.."

"I've been waiting for you, brat from yokai-wolf tribe.." the bird sneered, "You've inserted Shikon fragments into your body.. We brothers have been searching for them. It was much easier making you come to us though.."

"Koga.." I said, under my breath, "This one has it.."

He nodded, then, just as the bird lunched forward, he raced back down the mountain, into the midst of the ending battle below. The yokai boys had managed to chain down and kill many of the birds.

Koga took me to the boys who had loomed over me only moments ago setting me down onto the ground carefully.

"You two, watch over Kaori!" he demanded.

"Baka!" I shouted, just as he grabbed a spear and was about to leap back up to the bird, "You cannot defeat that thing on your own! Do you want to die?"

"Bah! Only I can take on that giant ugly bird!"

"BAKA!" I screamed. But it was no use and he was already leaping up the mountain side.

"Nee-san that won't do any good," one of the yokai boys said to me, placing his hand on my arm, gently tugging me toward a large crack in the mountain face.

"Nee-san?" I questioned, letting them traffic me to safety.

"Of course! You're Koga's woman after all," the other replied.

I scowled, yanking my arms from their grasp, "Who said I agreed to that damn agreement? Also I can take care of myself, thank you very much!" In all my struggling, and shouts, I hadn't been paying attention to where I put my feet. I tripped backwards, over a small rock.

"Oh yeah..." the one with grey and blue hair said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "You really can take care of yourself."

I picked myself off the ground, "Ugh, shut up.. What's your name anyway?"

"Ginta, and that's Hakkaku," he replied, motioning toward the white mohawk boy who had wanted to eat me.

They grabbed my arms again and started pulling me toward that crack.

I looked behind him cynically, I didn't really want to go.. but what I saw was horrifying. One of the bigger Gokuarku-Chous came shooting down, it's claws flexed and ready to tear. It was aiming toward Ginta..

"LOOK OUT!" I screamed, shoving him out of the way..

It wasn't in slow motion, like how you see it in movies. It seemed to go quicker, but my awareness of everything around me became more defined and clear. I couldn't hear anything, but only saw the shocked looks of my bodyguards. The red hot intensity rippling up my back and torso was pain. Something hot and thick soaked my back. I stumbled forwards, trying to hold back my screams of agony with heavy breathing. I looked past the fighting.. and watched something red and silver raced towards us on the horizon. I felt something warm trickle down my cheek.

Then sound came back.

My head was filled with cries of pain, grunts, growls. The sound of clashing metal and ripping flesh. A sweet voice calling my name..

Suddenly I was on my knees, being held up by something warm. Warmth in an iron hold, an intoxicating scent.. At first I thought it was Koga, but something didn't fit. Koga scent was earthy, fresh and canine. This one.. was different, and much.. much better.

"Kaori! Kaori! Don't you die on me, you stupid monkey girl! Wake up!" the voice shouted. I could feel their hands trembling, the grip was getting tighter, almost panicked on my arms.. trying so hard not to break me.

My mind had glazed over. Though the chaos of sounds and scents attacked me from all sides, my mind was at peace, whispering little questions in my mind. All I saw were two golden suns shining irritatingly into my eyes. I wanted to sleep now, my body felt heavy, wet, and hot. It hurt.. everywhere.. but.. why was.. monkey girl so familiar?

_"Watch were you're aiming Monkey-girl! You almost killed me!"_

My heart lurched.. and my eyes took in everything I was seeing. The two golden suns turned into eyes, panicked eyes. Eyes so worried and angry you would be afraid to look. But in that moment my heart was revealed.. no longer hurting or afraid. Tears flooded my vision and with the last bit of strength I could muster up, I reached out and hugged him, holding him tighter than I ever had before.

"Inuyasha.."

I couldn't control myself I didn't know what I was doing. He'd tried to kill me but here I was, crying into his chest like nothing had happened, like he couldn't just snap me in two right here, throw me off the cliff, take all the jewel shards from Koga and the bird and then just be done with it... Why was I such an idiot?

I felt the ground disappear below me as he lifted me up. He tightened his hold around me, one of his hands on the back of my head, the other holding my legs, cradling me. I could feel his breath on my face and it only made the tears come down harder. Was he silently apologizing to me, asking for forgiveness?

"Shippo told me what had happened.. He beat me up for it too.. but that wasn't me, Kaori," he whispered.

"Baka.." I sobbed, holding him tighter, "It was you, I hate you."

I could feel him trying not to smirk at me, though I could also feel the worry and regret. I didn't wanna seem so vulnerable, so I couldn't say anything but suspicious, but the more I cried, the more he accepted this and held me close, his hold so protective and comforting. He knew me so well.. He hadn't tried to kill me..

"What the hell did you do to her?" Inuyasha shouted, toward an unknown person behind me.

"I didn't do anything to her, dog-turd," Koga. He sounded far off and distance, "and I don't have time to play with you, who ever you are. Until I've finished off the monster-bird you just wait there!"

"Shut up! You dared to kidnap Kaori, put her in danger, and you're gonna pay right now!"

"Kaori..? Oi, mutt-face, you can run away, but keep your filthy hands off my woman! A girl who can see the Shikon Jewel.. now she's perfect for me."

"W-what!"

"I wanna go home.." I whispered, choking back more tears. If.. If Koga found out his name he'll attack him for what I said before..

Inuyasha exhaled, and hugged me closer. I felt weak, dizzy, hurt, but blessed. It was the only way to explain how I felt. I was blessed, lucky to be alive, lucky to have such a person in my life.

But.. something was strange. I strained my ears to hear the sound of clashing metal from the battle, but nothing came. I opened my eyes, blinking back the tears.

The fight was over. All the wolves watched us, with cautious eyes. They seemed to be trying to understand what exactly was going on now that everything was over. But still it wasn't right. The fight didn't last as long as it should have, they had won, but it seemed too simple.

I glanced toward the sky. I was wrong, the fight wasn't over, in fact the birds hovered over us, a hundred feet up.. but why weren't they attacking? I looked closer toward the sky.. it.. was a pinkish purple colour. No, a pinkish purple dome surrounded all of us, preventing the yokai from entering.

"Kaori!" I heard Kaede's voice call my name and suddenly she was standing beside Inuyasha, "Set her down, I must tend to her wounds."

Inuyasha nodded, and set me onto a grassy patch of earth. His hands were still trembling as he turned back toward the wolf yokai who was perched up on a higher ledge.

"Stop lying!" Inuyasha scowled.

Kaede pulled my black backpack off her shoulder and opened it, revealing many herbs and bandages. She carefully tended to me, muttering to herself how poorly I had been taken care of.

"I'm not lying! Kaori is _my_ woman!"

"You stupid, wolf!" Inuyasha shouted, his face red, "You're the idiot who's put her in danger!"

"Inuyasha!" I shouted, in a panic. He couldn't believe this was true, "He decided all this himself! You know that! Meoga, Meoga said! I don't want anything to do with this!"

"Inuyasha.. huh?" Koga scowled, "So you're that bastard who tried to kill Kaori?"

Inuyasha growled, the trembling getting worse, "I DID NOT!"

"Baka!" Koga hissed back, "Kaori said it was you! I'll kill you!"

Suddenly I felt weak, and it was then that I realized I was loosing too much blood, I was still injured.. I was.. dying?

I leaned against Kaede, my breathing heavy, my face so hot, "Onee-chan.."

"Inuyasha! Hurry!" Kaede shouted, "Kaori does not have much time in this place."

Panic struck both the bickering boys, I could feel it in the air. A loud screech was heard up high above and I realized, that that purpley-pink barrier was no more.

Ginta and Hakkaku snatched me up, and carried me off to that crack in the mountain where they had been trying to take me before. Kaede and Shippo followed. I watched listlessly as Koga leaped up the mountain toward the bird with the jewel, and Inuyasha raced after him.

Koga paused for a moment, sniffing the air, searching the sky.

I mustered up my strength, I had to end this, help at least. He couldn't do this alone, like he so very much wanted to.

"Koga-kun! It's up higher!" I shouted.

I noticed Inuyasha stumble a bit as he landed upon the mountain wall, staring down at me with a murderous look.

I ignored it. I couldn't concern myself with his emotions right now.. I didn't have enough time..

The Gokuarku-Chou, the one with the jewel shard, came from behind. It used the clouds in the sky, the dust, to its advantage, only exposing itself before it was too late.

Koga whipped around in surprise, quickly leaping back, and forcing his spear down into the yokai's throat. It snapped it in two effortlessly. Idiot..

Inuyasha was there in an instant, and he tore half way through the creature's wing wounding it severely. The bird was distracted, and Koga took this opportunity to attack one of the two blue talking bodies on the creature, killing it.

The other snarled, "How dare you kill my brother!" It collided with the mountain face, causing an explosion of rocks.. It flew unharmed away into the sky, Inuyasha nor Koga even visible around it.

"Damnit. It's running away!" I watched as Koga pulled himself from under the rubble. He bore a few scrapes and bruises but other then that, he was fine.

"Oi, Koga!" To my relief Inuyasha now broke through, "Prepare to meet your maker!"

"Oh, it's the dog-turd." Koga said, nonchalantly, "So you're alive as well, huh."

"I'll tell you this now, I don't give a damn about that monster-bird! I'm going to waste you here."

"Humph.." Koga muttered, "I do owe you one for the monster-bird, so I'll go now and let to search for Kaori afterwards."

"You bastard," Inuyasha scowled. He was so far up and yet for some reason I could hear their every word, sense their every motion.. "still going on about that.."

"Kaori!" Kaede snapped, bringing me out of the fight. She sounded like she had been calling my name numerous times.

"Onee-san.." I whined.

She sighed, "Ye are free to move as you please, you are now stitched up and tended to, _properly_ this time. Though I do caution thee, please, for me, Inuyasha, do not fight!"

I nodded but left the cave, careful to walk without pain. As I left the cavern I caught the argument more clearly now.. and the battle between wolf and bird was virtually over, besides that last one circling the sky.

"Of course! Kaori is my woman now!" Koga was vicious with these words, stopping me in my tracks. He sounded protective, wild.. "I won't let anyone have her!"

"Wha.." Inuyasha was stunned to silence, as was I. "You, you jerk.. of all the irresponsible things.."

"Heh. You got a problem, eh?" Koga snapped, "I'm in love with Kaori!"

Inuyasha face twisted into shock and disgust, "You, you bastard.."

"She's strong, beautiful, feisty, my ideal woman," Koga stated proudly, reading the mix of emotions playing on Inuyasha's face, "You bastard, I'll fix it so you won't be able to water after Kaori ever again."

Inuyasha was seething with anger. So horribly that my instincts were shouting at me to run away in terror.. screaming. He flexed his claws, "Baka.. That's my line!"

He lunged forward, but Koga leaped over his attack easily.

"Heh, what are you so pissed off about, dog-turd?" Koga chuckled.

Inuyasha growled, whipping around to face him.

"Kaori you know, would be happier if she came with me, compared to a weak pup like yourself."

"You think you're stronger than me!" Inuyasha shouted back, "Don't make me laugh!"

I groaned internally. What was with them, fighting over me like I was just some piece of meat. "Oi, bakas!" I shouted, "It's not like I'm going to die anymore! So knock it o-"

"That's not the point!" Inuyasha snapped, "I have to kill this guy else I won't be satisfied!"

"Same here.." Koga agreed, cracking his knuckles, "To make sure this guy never comes wandering back to find you, and to avenge the injuries inflicted upon you, I have to waste him.. After that, Kaori, we can get married in peace!"

I swayed on the spot. They didn't get it..

"Yo-o-u bastard.." Inuyasha snarled, trembling again. His face was red, his fangs bared, I could feel the power, the anger, stirring about him as he processed these words, "'Kaori' 'Kaori.. Stop acting like you guys are so familiar!"

Suddenly an all out fight exploded from the two canines, and there was nothing I could say to make them stop. My mind was spinning, that yokai bird wasn't just going to circle forever! And it didn't. Just as I thought those words the yokai came racing down towards them, snatching Koga's arm in it's largest mouth.

"You killed my brother, you bastard!" it screamed.

Koga hissed, clutching his arm with the other. He brought up his legs and kicked in it's teeth, freeing his arm, now bleeding.. and free of the third Shikon shard. He fell from the sky, crashing into the stone ground.

Ginta and Hakkaku rushed past me in horror. I forced myself after them, careful not to re-reopen my wounds again.

"Don't come near me!" Koga snarled, pouncing onto all fours, "It took my Shikon shard, it'll be coming after my others, I'm it's only target!"

But as the Gokuarku-Chou flew around on que, Inuyasha leaped off the mountain, his claws bared.

"_Sankon Testusou_!"

In a flash of bright golden light.. the bird was no more.

I rushed toward Koga, dropping to my knees beside him. What, what was wrong with me? I was worried? "Koga-kun, are you okay?"

"Keh! Now then, since the interfering monster-bird has been taken care of.. Oi Koga, let's get back to settling things!" Inuyasha pushed through the crowd that surrounded Koga and I. Suddenly he gasped in horror, staggering backwards a couple steps. "YOU'RE HUGGING HIM!"

"Idiot!" I snapped, "I am not! But that's besides the point, he's hurt, can't you see that?"

"Why are you protecting a guy like that, Kaori.."

"These wounds.." Koga gasped, staggering to his feet, "Are no big deal.. For a wimp like you.. One strike with my left arm will destroy you!"

"Still insulting me, eh!" Inuyasha snarled, "Fine!" He raced forward, bearing clenched fists.

I growled, "Inuyasha osuwari!"

Inuyasha did his face plant as soon as Koga collapsed and I motioned the tribe to take Koga away before the subjugation wore off.

I watched them as they disappeared into a cloud of dust. The wind blew across the mountain, playing with my hair, as a dark, menacingly evil voice breathed down my neck.

"Why'd.. you let him escape..?" Inuyasha hissed.

I turned around slowly. I was nervous, I knew he would hate me for this for sure.. "He's not that bad..?"

"NOT THAT BAD!" he grabbed my arms. His grip was tight and vicious, "Get real! Didn't you think you might die after being kidnapped!"

"Well, yeah!" I snapped, "But they protected me and tried their best to treat my injuries, and-"

"Exactly! You could have died if not for me!" he shouted, shaking in his anger all over again. I idly wondered if he would have a heart attack.

"But I wouldn't even had been kidnapped at all if you had come with me on that walk, if ALL of you had told me his intentions in the first place!"

"Don't tell me that ye has fallen in love with the wolf-leader?" Kaede asked, joining us now.

"Well he did declare his love so boldly. How in the world could she hate him?" Shippo muttered.

Inuyasha's growling became louder and his grip tighter than before as he trembled.. Then suddenly, just as I thought he might, MIGHT, kill me for real this time, he let go, and turned his back to me, "Baka!"

"Inuyasha!" I shouted.

"Shut up!" he snapped as he stomped away.

"Kaede.. What's his problem.." I whined.

She placed an ancient hand upon my shoulder, handing me two small pink jewels she had picked up off the ground. "Go put his mind at ease, child," she told me, "he was really worried about ye, I feel a bit sorry."

I frowned at him as he plopped himself down on the edge of the cliff. I remembered the way he had held me when he had come.. He was gentle and protective, only looking out for me, and I guess he feels like I betrayed him.. I suppose I have..

I took the jewel shards from my sister's hands and pocketed them, then made my way toward the slightly growling hanyo... and I sat down beside him. He glanced at me for a quick second, then turned away.

"Inuyasha.." I murmured, "I'm sorry I made you worry, and I'm sorry I didn't have much faith in you.. to believe that you would have hurt me.. and I'm sorry I got injured and.. sorry for not giving you the jewel in the whole first place and I'm sorry for letting Koga go and I'm sorry for everything else. I truly am grateful that you came for me.."

"Bah!" he scoffed, "Wouldn't you have preferred that I didn't save you? Taken in by his sweet words.."

"Sweet-words?" I questioned, "You mean when he said he loves me? You were worried about _that_? Why?"

"I.." he twitched, "What do you mean by that! Of course I wasn't worried about that!"

His breathing was heavy as he fumed away in his jealousy, his face getting red.

"It is worrying you," I said.

He growled, his claws twitching, "You idiot, little girl, what would you know about anyth-"

I grabbed his wrist and his hand opened as he was taken over by surprise. I placed his hand on my cheek to soak in the warmth and felt his temperature rise. I used to do this before, as a child, when he was angry or upset with me. It always seemed to soak it right out of him.

"I don't feel that way about Koga-kun at all. I only saved him to repay the favour you see, he had his tribe tend to me, and prevented them form eating me, I didn't want to be in his debt and, I'm_ sure_, you would feel pretty lousy if you attacked and killed an injured man."

"Keh! Nobody asked you about that," he muttered. I could hear the irritation with the subject still in his tone, but the base of his anger and aggression had been defeated with a mere touch, "I don't want to talk about this anymore."

I smiled and he glared in return, "Okay, but can you promise me something?"

He was silent, waiting for me to speak before he agreed to this promise.

"Please, no more secrets.."


	6. Her Awakened Soul

A/N: bleh nothing to say, nothing has changed, no one likes to review -cries- dates: sept 16-17

* * *

**You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.**

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I Do Not Own Inuyasha

* * *

6. Her Awakened Soul

I lay on my back, my ipod blasting into my ears. I stared up at the roof, ignoring the two glaring amber eyes staring down at me. He was irritated with the volume. With his hearing he could probably hear all the muffled sounds from it.. this wasn't _his_ type of music that was for sure. Wait did Inuyasha even have a type?

"Here, Inuyasha," I lifted myself up and took one of the ear buds out. I grabbed and pulled his head closer to my own and held up the bud to his ear, "Do you like this song?"

He slapped the ear piece out of my hand, "Kaori! Stop being so god damn useless!"

"Tch, fine.." I turned the device off in the middle of my favourite song and tossed it into my bag, "So what were we talking about again?"

We were back in the village, the day with Koga long gone.. well at least if you counted the next morning long gone. Not too soon after I had made Inuyasha promise not to keep any more secrets from me, I had passed out. I had been too weak to actually have done all that running about, it was surprising I had even made it.

But this morning I was crowned the most strange of all humans in the history of humandom. My life threatening wounds were now healed. Not even a scar was left. I was healing as fast a Inuyasha did, which in his eyes, was very suspicious. I didn't know what was wrong with me. I had been one to heal quickly, but never this fast.

"How an impersonator of Inuyasha had come to take ye's jewel shards," Kaede reminded me.

"Oh yeah.." I muttered, going back to that day in my mind. The memory was still full of pain and it made my body ache, but my heart at least was left out of that aching now, "Well what happened was, I was by Kikyo's grave.. and well something weird happened inside me, but anyways I left and tripped, then 'Inuyash-'"

"Don't call that thing me!" Inuyasha interrupted.

"Okay, then the impersonator of the guy sitting beside me, showed up and he didn't really attack me but he said words to cut me deep, and injured me after taking the jewel. Then Koga showed up."

"You don't think Koga did that do you?" Shippo wondered.

"If it was I'll rip his head off!" Inuyasha snarled.

I sighed, "Weren't you already gonna do that?"

"Yeah, but _yoouu _wouldn't let me!"

"Oh so now we're back to _this_ again!"

"Wait, Kaori," Kaede interrupted, getting to her feet, "Ye said something strange happened inside you at our sister's grave?"

"Ehh, yeah.. I can't really explain it.. but.." I tried to remember what had happened, it was an odd experience and with Koga and the bird's distractions I barely had a moment to actually sit down and think about it, "It was like.. She had taken over my soul."

Inuyasha scoffed and rolled his eyes. He obviously didn't like the subject of her. I wanted to ask him why, to put the newly formed promise to work, but I knew I would be abusing my powers that way.

I looked back toward Kaede and her face was motionless in shock. Why? She acted like she had just heard some devastating news..

She snapped out of it, and sped from the door, "Kaori, come."

I shrugged and followed her, back toward those same stone steps with the beckoning golden lantern. It didn't seem that far, not this time as it was day. As we passed the villagers waved and wished us good fortune.. but mostly to Kaede. They were a little hostile to me, they knew the wolf yokai who had come to attack them now considered himself as my fiancee and though I claimed and fought for my cause, telling them it wasn't true, some of them still suspected I was carrying little baby hanyo's inside me. I sighed.

We reached the top of the stone steps and in that moment I sensed something was wrong. I looked around. It was destroyed. There was no cute little shine, or a shack sized one. It was all smashed to pieces. A huge crater was implanted into the ground and numerous blade marks cut up the earth.

A lump formed at the back of my throat. What had happened?

"I had hoped it wasn't true..." Kaede sighed, rubbing her forehead, "I had heard from the villagers that a witch named Urasue, came while we were gone.. She's taken her bones, Kaori."

"You knew..?" I said, getting over the shock, "You knew and you didn't tell me!"

"Kaori.. I didn't want to worry ye about something that might not have been true," she replied sadly, staring at the violated grave.

"But I'm family! I have the same right as you and Inuyasha do! Why.. why do you keep hiding things from me? She's my sister too! Maybe for not as long as you but I still deserve to know!" I whipped around and sprinted down the stone steps in a infuriating anger. Tears were prickling my eyes again, and I hastily wiped them away. I was such a cry baby..

"What the hell are you crying about?" Inuyasha asked, as I reached the bottom.

"Shut up!" I snapped, causing him to flinch, "and I'm sure you knew as well, right?"

"Ney Kaori, Inuyasha did not know," Kaede said, placing a hand on my shoulder.

Inuyasha looked at me and I noticed he looked confused at my slightly tear streaked face.

"Well why not!" I asked, my frustration bubbling up inside my stomach, "He's older than me too and knew Kikyo better than I! Why not just let him know that someone robbed and destroyed her grave! Maybe he'd help you!"

A loud growl rippled from Inuyasha's throat, "I refuse to help!"

"Inuyasha.." Kaede sighed.

"Have you forgotten, Babaa!" he shouted, "Kikyo and I were enemies!"

"No you weren't.." My voice came out small and confused. I remembered that day upon their deaths.. well they did seem to be enemies then but.. that made no sense. They shouldn't have been..

They were silent for a moment, looking guilty like Inuyasha had said something he shouldn't have. He scowled and headed toward the forest, not bothering to help solve my confusion.

Kaede sighed and turned away sadly, making her way back up the stone staircase. I felt betrayed.. They still kept things from me, and no matter how I acted or what I did, no matter what I made them promise, they would never stop.

I looked from her then back to the spot where Inuyasha had been rushing off too. He wasn't there anymore. I sprinted after him. I needed to figure this out.. No matter what, I needed to get information. Why did he consider them as enemies? What had made him think that way? And why.. did Kaede agree?

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

About an hour later, I sat down under the tree where Inuyasha and I had shared the mutant Veggies only three days ago. I remembered back to my birthday, when I had first appeared back here..That time seemed so long ago. My game of hide and seek, like in a dream in another life. Again the sky was flawless. A beautiful jay blue, not one silver cloud. It seemed like nature was mocking me.

When I was little I took the death of my sister lightly, being too young to understand the concept. But what was strange was I had understood perfectly when I thought Inuyasha had died. When he had been pierced to the Goshinboku, by my sister's arrow, heart wrenching terror and pain had shot through me like I had been the one hit. I was able to understand his pain more clearly than my own sister's.. than my own families.

But now her death hurt more than anything. It hurt to know I hadn't cared until now. It hurt to know I turned my back on her when she was injured, to cry for someone else. It hurt to know than even now I still didn't understand why she died. Maybe Kaede knew how much I was hurting.. Maybe telling me the truth would hurt me more, and that was why they refused to tell me.

I brought my knees to my chest and stared at an ant carry food back to it's home. I sighed as the ant continued to struggle, "Osuwari.."

Inuyasha came crashing down beside me, crushing the tiny ant. He growled and glared at me.

"You crushed my ant friend.." I mumbled.

"And whose fault do you think that is!" he shouted, picking himself off the ground, "Why do you keep sitting me!"

"Why do you keep doing things that make me say Osuwari..?" I replied, as he plummeted into the dirt again. He growled as he got up again and looked away from me, watching a butterfly dance across the field. It was late in the season for butterflies..

I sighed again, and picked at the grass beside me, "I don't know why you hate Kikyo-onee-san.. and that is your fault but.." I turned to look at him, "She has been dead for a long time, and still you hold on to these negative feelings. Why can't you just let it go?"

I noticed his eyes narrow and he turned his head away from me some more.

"But still.." I growled and pulled his hair, "Look at me when I'm talking to you, stupid dog!"

He looked guilty, scared, and surprised all at once. "Wha..?"

"What the hell is your problem?" I screamed, "All you do is stalk and spy on all god damn day but when it comes to actual interaction you're all distant and cold! Is the reason because I ws her stupid little sister! Cause I look too much like her or something?"

He grabbed my hand, pulling it away. Holding arm just above my elbow, he looked at me, his face pleading, guilty.. as if he was losing an internal struggle with himself. His amber eyes stared at me in a way I had seen him look at Kikyo so many times before..

"It's not.. like that," he whispered.

My stomach flip-flopped, and a explosion of butterflies fluttered around inside me. W..wasn't it too late in the season for those!

As he inched closer, my heart sputtered and for a moment I thought it was going to die. I knew he could hear it.. I knew.. I felt his breath on my lips and.. then..

I screaming, pushing him away. He fell off me, and rolled half way down the hill. I fell forward as well but caught myself before I hit the ground. I clutched the grass with my fists, my face hot, my heart racing.. Wh.. What was going on..? I sat down, tearing out the grass from the roots.. What was happening? I didn't understand this, behaviour! He was Kikyo's.. and she was his.. I was just the annoying little sister, wasn't I?

"Damnit! What're you doing!" He growled, racing back up the hill. His hands were clutched into fists, all aggressive-like and threatening.

"H-hey! You're th-the one!" I stuttered.

"What did I do!" he snarled.

I blinked. He didn't know? Or remember?

He crossed his arms over his chest, glaring down at me, "Baka, just screaming and pushing people for no god damn reason."

I glared at him. Ugh, how could he not remember! It just happened like 5 seconds ago!

"Kaori, Inuyasha!"

I was distracted from the argument, as Kaede wandered up the hill towards us, leading a white and a brown mare, "Kaori I am to track down the witch and take back our sister's ashes with my own hands. Inuyasha, at least tell me in which direction Urasue is headed?"

"Do you wanna die, babaa?" Inuyasha replied.

"Well, I'll have to go to find out."

"Onee-san! You can't take her on by yourself," I argued. Who did she think she was kidding? She was like a 50-something year old woman!

"Keh, it's no use to try and stop her," Inuyasha muttered, "That's why I hate dealing with old people."

"You! Shut up!" I snapped, "Kaede, I'm coming with you."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

I sat on the white mare, falling behind. I was in a daze, staring at my hands, letting the horse have control. Kaede, rode up ahead, and, surprisingly enough, Inuyasha stood on the horse behind her, staring into the nothingness.

The stupid jerk. I wanted nothing to do with him, not after this afternoon. I looked past them, over the rocky landscape. It.. wasn't really his fault though. He had been confused, thought I was someone else that time, I'll bet. I shouldn't have let myself fall victim. He didn't seem to remember anyways.. or he did but he was acting like nothing happened.

What is it, Inuyasha?" Kaede asked stopping her horse. I was still minority dazed, and I had forgotten how to stop the animal so I let it continued forward, past them, trying to relax my racing heart.

"I smell it.." he said watching me in confusion as my horse carelessly passed them. He probably heart my mini heart attack, "It's the scent of the yokai."

I stared out into nothingness.. when it hit. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH WHERE'S SHIPPO!" I screamed, falling off the horse. The horse didn't seem spooked by my sudden shout and stopped walking and waited for me to climb back on. I could have sworn that horse was laughing at me.. in a secret horsey type way.

"I'm right here, Kaori.." said Shippo from my shoulder, as Kaede and Inuyasha passed, "Did you forget?"

"Oh.. Sorry." I mumbled clambering back on the mare, my face hot. I heard the horse grunt and stumble a few minutes later but paid no attention.

"What the hell is your problem?"

I yelped and twisted my body around. Inuyasha was siting behind me, his body turned away but his face watching me with suspicious amber eyes. I felt heat rise up in my cheeks and I looked away, forcing the horse into a gallop to catch up with my sister.

"Nothing," I replied, meekly.

"You're such a liar," he retorted, "You're all spastic! Either you're a mental case or there's something bothering you.. or both."

I growled but didn't answer. I wanted to sit him a million times, but since doing so would result in an injured horse, I decided against it. A guy like Inuyasha took up arguing as a hobby, so I figured silence would be the best weapon against him.

We set up camp hours later as the sun was swallowed up by the mountains. Another small cavern welcomed me and Kaede rested inside my sleeping bag at my feet, Shippo beside her.

Inuyasha sat on the other side of the fire, watching as the ambers floated up from the flames then burned up in the air.

"K-Kaede's asleep," I muttered, not knowing what else to say.

He exhaled and leaded back against the wall, hiding his hands in his sleeves, "You'd better get some sleep. We'll attack tomorrow." He closed his eyes then, and his breathing fell into a steady pace.

"I..Inuyasha.." I murmured.

His ears flicked, proving he was listening.

"W.. what happened between you and Kikyo..?"

"That yokai isn't far, I can smell it.." he muttered, completely ignoring what I said.

"Inuyasha, you promised no secrets!" I argued, trying my hardest not to get shrill.

He said nothing more, and leaned onto his side, resting his head on his hand.

"D..don't sleep!" I whispered.. but as the moments passed I knew he had already.. or at least he was faking it. I sighed, pulling a blanket over me.

I remembered back to my birthday, Yuka's counting echoing in my mind. How upset I had been over the date with Hojo that I still have yet to go to.. My presents, my chain.. which had been stolen from my by that impostor..

I remembered when I raced through the trees, and climbed up those roots, scared that he would disappear. How my fingers tingled and my relief.. but now.. as I watched him sleep again.. why was I afraid he would disappear from me..? He was here, physically, I could jump run over right now and give him a hug and he wouldn't just fade away.. but.. what was going on inside?

They loved and then suddenly.. one morning.. they were fighting. I thought back to how the impostor had tried to create a chaos inside me, thinking that Inuyasha had betrayed me, that he wanted to kill me, and that person had succeeded.. What.. if something like that happened to them too? The more I thought about it, the more out there it seemed but.. it fit.. What if they were tricked by someone, into hating each other..?

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

I stood on the edge of the rock staring across the foggy abyss below. A hundred feet away was the entrance to the witch's lair. The only problem was the only way to get across was a old, rickety wooden bridge. Some of the planks that made up the path were missing, and others looked like they'd break any minute.

The two horses were tied to a small tree beside me, oblivious to the dangers beside them. I swallowed my fear and took a shaky step forward. The wood groaned under my weight and I jumped back onto land. I didn't trust this bridge. It would break as soon as I took two steps, I knew it!

"Hurry up, monkey girl!" Inuyasha barked. It was morning now, and Inuyasha after a great good night's sleep was back at his annoying existence.

"Shut up!" I shouted, my voice echoing across the mountains, "I'll take as long as I want!"

"Don't tell me your scared..?" he asked, giving me accusatory glance over. I didn't answer and gawked at the large predatory birds flying below. I was_so_gonna die today. I heard him snicker behind me, and suddenly I was being forced onto the bridge by my shoulders.

"W-w-what are you doing?" I stammered. The bridge was swaying, and the wood groaned as Inuyasha continued to push me forward.

"You're not scared, right?" he sneered, "So if you're not scared then crossing this bridge should be easy."

"B-but I said I wanted to take my time!" I replied shrilly, resisting against him. The wood would break, and maybe he would be fine, but I would die! I had to stay alive long enough so I could retrieve my sister's remains. After that I don't care!

"Maybe it'll fall.." he murmured, a devilishly amused smirk on his face.

I stopped walking whimpering slightly, "Fall?"

"Yes.. The bridge doesn't look very stable. It could fall any second.." The smirk on his face grew. I glanced toward him, then to the old bridge below.

"M-maybe it isn't such a good idea f-for us to be crossing all at once?" I stammered, stepping back. But Inuyasha pushed me forward slightly again.

"It's to late to turn back.. the bridge could break that way too.."

I gasped, and my body went ridged. It.. It could fall if I went back? A-and if I went forwards? I heard Inuyasha snicker at my reaction. He enjoyed seeing me freak out! What kind of evil person was he?

Kaede sighed from behind us, "Inuyasha would ye stop teasing my little sister!"

"Why? Her stupid reactions are amusing!" he replied smugly, taking his hands from my shoulders to turn toward the old lady.

I felt something small and furry run past me, and I jumped back, shaking the bridge. I grasped onto the chain railing beside me, my feet planted to the ground. There was no way I was taking another step!

It's only me, Kaori.." Shippo said from below. I looked down toward him, then snapped my head back up, too scared of the darkness below. I noticed a dark figure coming toward us from the opposite side of the bridge.

"H-hey.. something's coming.." I said meekly backing away from the dark figures. Suddenly the bridge shook, with such a force that almost knocked me to my knees, and Inuyasha was then in front of me.

Stupid.. evil.. jerk.. hanyo.. He was the one that was saying the bridge was gonna break and now he's jumping on it!

The figures advancing out from the mist, were stiff looking samurai. They looked to be half dead, and made of clay. I guess they were the witch's soldiers? Inuyasha flexed his claws, and glanced toward me smirking.

"Better hold on or your gonna fall off.."

I yelped and grasped onto the chains as he easily destroyed the samurai. Their bodies smashed into pieces like stone, and broke the planks of wood where they fell. I fell to my knees, holding on for my life. More of the stone samurais advanced through the mist and I heard Inuyasha curse under his breath.

"Move you bastards!" he shouted as he smashed more to bits. Suddenly a thin old lady, holding a scythe that seemed too big for her, appeared out of the mist. She cut through the bridge separating me from the rest of the group.

I didn't scream as I felt the bridge fall out from under me, nor could I. I was really going to die now, and Inuyasha's teasing turned out to be true! The bridge was falling! I felt something wrap itself around my waist and the sudden sensation of falling was ripped away.

"Inuyasha!" I screamed, watching him, Shippo and Kaede fade away into the abyss below.

"Heheheh.." the witch crackled, looking at my frightened face with pure glee in her eyes, "No one can survive a fall from this height!"

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

I lay bound by rope in a shallow pool of green water. The water smelt strongly of medicinal herbs and mint, it left me feeling lightheaded. Urasue stood at my feet, pouring more of the strongly smelling water into the pool. She, then walked around the pool inspecting me thoroughly.

"Quiet girl aren't you? Hmmm.." She crouched down beside me, poking me with a long bony finger. She lifted my head up by the end of my hair, and she grabbed my chin in her wrinkled hand and forced my head to the side, staring into my ear. "Interesting.. there's more to your soul than meets the eye.."

She let go of my hair and I hit my head on the bottom of the stone pool. Some of the green water splashed into my mouth and I sputtered into a coughing fit. Urasue looked at me disapprovingly then turned toward a cave.

"Come out, Kikyo," she called. I gasped as my sister walked out from the cave. My sister.. my dead sister! She.. she was here! Alive! She walked to the edge of the pool and stared down at me, her chocolate orbs expressionless.

"W-wha..? Kikyo-O-onee-san!" I stuttered. Urasue chuckled and stepped beside my sister.

"She is, of course, the body of Kikyo resurrected from Kikyo's holy bones..." A small smile appeared on her ancient face, "And you, my dear, hold her soul inside you. Once the extraction is finished your real soul, that is currently being suppressed by your sister's holy powers, will regain dominance, and you may find you have changed quite a bit.."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

Inuyasha opened his eyes. The fall from the bridge had left him unconscious. Everywhere around him debris from the bridge and stone pieces from the soldiers lay astray. He sat up, shoving broken planks of wood off him. "Damn it!"

He looked around. There was no sign of Shippo, Kaede or Kaori anywhere. He looked up. A huge dark green leaf floated down from above, and came crashing down on top of the silvered haired hanyo.

"Do you think Inuyasha's okay?" Shippo asked searching the grounds.

Kaede sighed, "That guy wouldn't die even if he did fall.."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

"What! Kaori was kidnapped!" Inuyasha shouted, his voice echoing off the cliffs.

"I think the correct term is 'Teennapped'," Shippo corrected. Inuyasha growled and hit him on the head.

"I don't care what it's called!"

Kaede sighed and looked at Inuyasha, her expression solemn. "Inuyasha, do you remember? At that time when Kaori had re-entered our lives.. I had said back then that she held all, and now more, spiritual powers that Kikyo had ever possessed.. Earlier today when she said that at the grave it had felt like someone had been taking over her soul?"

"Yeah, what of it?" he snapped.

"Well.. Haven't you noticed something? Something strange about my younger sister?" she urged.

"What? Other then the fact that she's mental, and accident-prone?" he asked, pulling a splinter of wood from his hair.

Kaede sighed again, "You're not understanding? Or do ye not see the difference between her and everyone else..?"

"The thing I noticed was that she seems to heal awfully quick, for a human as.. weak as she is," Shippo replied in a chipper, yet confused voice, hopping onto Inuyasha's shoulder.

Kaede got to her feet and stared up into the sky. "Yes.. you are correct Shippo.. but we shall continue this conversation later.. for I fear that Kaori's sanity will soon vanish and my older sister will soon reappear into this world.."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

Inuyasha pondered over Kaede's words as they made their way up the mountain side. Kikyo could reappear into this world? Kaori's sanity? What did a fast healing human have to do with anything? Why did that set her so different from any other human? He knew her abnormally fast healing wounds had been suspicious, but it wasn't that much a big of a deal...just another thing to add to list of Kaori's abnormalities.

As he considered the possibilities of Kaede's worry, his thoughts soon wandered to the raven haired priestess. She had told him that he could use the Shikon No Tama to become human. He had always wanted to become a full fledged yokai which was why he had always been chasing after the Shikon No Tama in the first place. But she had keen senses for a human, always pinning him to trees once he got too close.

But she'd never finish him off, and continually told him to give up his mission, claiming that he was wasting to much of her arrows. But through battle, and peace, five year old Kaori, mimicked her every move. Scowling when she scowled. Laughing when she laughed. Taking a step, or a leap of faith toward her sister.. even if it would put herself in danger. Kaori didn't remember the bond she had between her and Kikyo.

Kaori was there through every attack, every success and every fail her sister had. And her devotion to Kikyo was one of the reasons Inuyasha had fallen into their circle. Kaori was happy, sweet, kind, curious, welcoming, chipper. The first time the little girl had ever seen him, she didn't turn away like Kikyo nor the rest of the world did, and instead, ran back to him and asked her hundred questions, trying her best to understand.

Even if Inuyasha had gotten his hands on the Shikon No Tama, he had no intentions of killing either of them. And Kikyo didn't seem to have any plans for his death either. Kikyo had explained to him that they were more alike then he thought. She was human, but couldn't act and live peacefully as one. She wasn't aloud to show weakness for a yokai would use it against her, which was the reason why she kept Kaori with her at all times. She couldn't push her sister away even if she tried, in other words.. Kaori was her weakness. But she couldn't kill Inuyasha for the fact the he too wasn't aloud to show weakness, in fright that it would be used against him to end his life.

Kikyo and Kaori had opened his eyes and made him realize all of the bad things he had done in the past, and it had worried him. Then came a time, when Kaori was considered as his little sister, and his head was constantly filled with thoughts of the priestess Kikyo.

"Inuyasha, why have ye stopped talking?" Kaede asked, startling the bewildered hanyo. "At that time.. Isn't it true that ye dearly loved Onee-sama?"

Inuyasha froze mid-step, then continued as a slow pace, before any one would notice his pause. "Keh! I was deceived by her, damn it."

"I heard.. you were going to become human?" she questioned, staring at him, with confused brown eyes.

He growled, in response and rolled his eyes. "It was a spur of the moment thing.. but on that day I had discovered that Kikyo had intended to kill me from the start, to make be become negligent, you see. You know the rest of it babaa.. I attacked the village and seized the jewel, which is why I got wasted by Kikyo in the end."

Kaede sighed, "I know I was not as close to you as my sister's were, but those actions that day, broke their hearts.. as it did mine.."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

Moments later they stood in the witches lair. Kaori, bound by thick cords, lay in a pool of herbal water, her eyes blank and expressionless. Her wrists were cut and bleeding slightly, where she struggled against the coarse rope.

A sparking neon blue barrier stood around her, as she gasped for air inside. Her back arched as she withered in pain, snarls and howls of pain emitting from her lips.. Something horrifying was happening.

"What the hell are you doing to Kaori!" Inuyasha hollered, horrified by Kaori's current state.

"You bastards.." the witch hissed, "So you survived.."

"O..Onee-sama," Kaede gasped, looking behind the hag. Kikyo sat her back against the wall, staring as Kaori thrashed like a wild animal. She seemed unaffected by her sister's shrieks of pain.

Inuyasha saw her from the corner of his eye, and reluctantly dragged his attention away from the ghastly scene before him. "Kikyo?"

It was barely above a whisper, and he hadn't even looked at the raven haired girl properly. But her name seemed to be a password. Suddenly a loud crack filled the air, and the barrier around Kaori exploded in a display of sparks and lightning. Smoke and mist clouded the area blocking Kaori, Kikyo and Urasue from sight.

The mist cleared. Kaori was gone. But Inuyasha seemed oblivious to her disappearance. His eyes were wide in shock as he stared at the 18 year old girl who he had thought to be dead. She was just as he had remembered. Kikyo stood tall, her pearly skin in contrast to her shimmering raven locks that fell to her knees. Her once warm and kind eyes were now full of sadness, hatred, and betrayal. Although she stood before him, her heart didn't beat, and her shoulders didn't rise or fall to show her breathing.

But someone else, who stood beside her, tore his attention away from the priestess. There standing at 5'1" was the most beautiful girl Inuyasha had ever seen. Her silky neon blue locks fell to her shins in slight waves. Two onyx dog ears pointed to the side in distrust, and a matching long fluffy tail with a snowy tip curled around her body. Her skin was cream coloured, but she wasn't as toned as the taller girl beside her. She looked slimmer, more fragile.. breakable. Wide sparkling aquamarine eyes, that held sparks of gold and bright green, stared back at him, suspicious and guarded. Her features were straight, perfect, angular. High cheek bones, perfect figure.. she was so different yet somehow similar to the priestess beside her. She had appeared, just as Kaori had vanished.

He knew he should be worrying about the missing brunette, but something kept him from doing so. Maybe it was the shock of the two women standing before him, or maybe it was because inside he felt as though nothing was wrong. Like little Kaori was hiding in the shadows.. waiting to be rescued. But there was something wrong. Kaori's scent still floated through the air.. now mixed with a smell of dog yokai.. and it radiated off the angelic stranger girl.

He stepped forwards. A sixty-eighth of a second later, a growled ripped through the mist and the stranger girl stood crouched in front of the raven haired priestess. Her ears were pinned back, and her lips curled back revealing pearly white fangs. Her claws were flexed, and her body begged for bloodshed.

Her growls continued as Inuyasha refused to retreat. He was to close for comfort it seemed. Kikyo's lips parted, and she reached her hand out toward the hanyo girl. "Stop it.. Kaori."

Suddenly the girl was standing, no longer in her defensive crouch. Her growls faded away, but she still stared with distrust at the silver haired hanyo. Kikyo had called this stranger girl 'Kaori'..

"Kill her," Stated Kikyo walking past the girl. The girl hanyo whipped around, and sprinted toward the hag behind them. Urasue looked at her in disbelief.

"What are you doing?" she shrieked, backing up against the wall, "I was the one who revived your sister! I was the one who awakened your yokai blood! Do you really want to kill the woman who made you what you are?"

The girl scowled, and flexed her claws again, "You dragged us out," she hissed, Kaori's quiet musical voice escaping from her lips. She slashed through the hags flesh, like it was nothing, then resumed her stance beside the priestess, her claws covered in blood.

"I did not intend to wake again.." Kikyo whispered, staring at the ground at the stranger girls feet. "I did not intend for you to be plagued with the thirst for death as you are now.."

"Onee-sama.." Kaede breathed, staring at the two women in front of her.

"You.. You really are Kikyo aren't you?" said Inuyasha staring in disbelief toward the saddened priestess.

Kikyo slowly looked up toward him, her expression grave, "Inu.. yasha.." she staggered toward him, the stranger girl shadowing her every move with more grace than should be allowed.

The stranger girl smirked and crouched down again, standing slightly behind Kikyo. Kikyo looked up at Inuyasha, her grave expression suddenly turning into one of hatred.

"WHY DID YOU BETRAY ME!" she screeched. Suddenly crackling yellow light appeared at her hands were she touched him, and the stranger girl pounced forward, her claws missing him by inches.

"You're saying I betrayed you?" Inuyasha shouted in disbelief, dodging more attacks from the stranger girl. He noticed now, that she was only a foot away from him, that this stranger girl's eyes, were slightly clouded, confused, and full of malice. But even so.. they were defiantly Kaori's eyes..

"That is why.. I gathered my little remaining strength and sealed you away.. We should never have met again!" Kikyo shouted.

"Please stop this Onee-sama!" Kaede shouted running toward her, "Please call Kaori off! I am your younger sister Kaede. I have lived for fifty years since you have died!"

Inuyasha didn't understand. They were calling this stranger girl Kaori. This wasn't Kaori. Kaori wasn't a hanyo, but even so, she wouldn't be full of all this blood-lust. She wouldn't be trying to kill him.. but if she did, she wouldn't do it with such an evil grin like she enjoyed it.. he knew her better than that.

"Inuyasha-sama!" Meoga gasped climbing out of his hair.

"So that's were you've been hiding all this time!" Inuyasha snapped, "Maybe you could tell be why everyone is calling this bitch Kaori!"

Meoga sighed. "Because that _is_ Kaori! The separation of her sister's soul had caused her own to re-emerge, for her true form to re-surface. She's always had a small part of Kikyo-sama's soul inside her and it suppressed her own, locking away her yokai blood and giving her the form of a human."

"If what you're saying is true, and I highly doubt it because it doesn't fucking make sense, then why the hell is she trying to kill me!" he shouted dodging another attack.

"She is confused. The re-awakening of her yokai blood, has caused her instincts to take over. At this moment her yokai half is more dominate. She doesn't remember us, and sees everyone as an enemy.. well everyone except for Kikyo."


	7. Truths

A/N: I lovee this chapter, ionno why but I doo! I hope you'll like it o: dates: sept 17

* * *

**You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.**

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I Do Not Own Inuyasha

* * *

7. Truths

Darkness. Unconsciousness. They were fine.. dark, cool, quiet.. It was my red reality that was torture. It started off faint as I lay in the dark.. my eyes blind and unseeing. It was a small sting of pain, somewhere in my chest. But then it started to grow. The pain travelled through my veins. The pain felt hot like fire, but I felt like I was being split in two. The herbal water felt like acid on my skin. The rope, razors around my wrists.

It felt like every bone in my body was being broken numerous times. It felt like I was being devoured alive. It felt like someone had plummeted their sword into my heart, but still my body would refuse to die. My muscles twisted and flipped which seemed impossible, for it hurt to much to move. The pain made me forget.

Something stopped my breathing. The acid was in my mouth. It burned my skin.. it made me feel like I was engulfed in flames. My lungs ached, oxygen burned away. Pain again. Something hot and sticky bathed my hands. The scent of blood. I felt something sharper than knives cut through my skin. Oxygen bubbled up in my throat and I screamed in pain as the acid burned my wound. It was the first time in my life I had expressed my pain.

Something heavy pressed down on my body, and my head pounded. Something was trying to push me into the calming darkness. But my body resisted against it. I clung to this pain.. it was the only thing that reminded me I was still alive. Darkness, could be death.

The easy thing to do would be to die. To let the pain devour me and cast me to oblivion. But if I gave up I'd be weak. I'd be hurting the people that have risked their lives to keep me alive. I'd be hurting the ones who needed me.

Inuyasha. He who had hurt me. He who had saved me. He who had been the best role model and friend when I was little. He had nothing. Nobody had ever cared for him at all, besides me. I had been the only person who had understood from the beginning and didn't walk away. He was already wounded enough as it is with Kikyo's death. If I died then he'd have no one, nothing from the past.

Kaede, my sister. Who was now old and ancient. Wise and knowing. She was responsible, kind, brave and willing. I was the only family she had left. Shippo had no family anymore. He needed someone to protect him from the dangers of Inuyasha's fist..

The Higurashi's.. my mother. They all didn't want me to be here. Dangerous, they said. They didn't want me to die at 16. I had thought my mother to be suffocating at times. But in reality she only cared for me, knowing some how that I had a tragic past..

Pain. The pain suddenly grew worse. Ripping my memories from my mind. I didn't know anything but the pain. I couldn't remember anything but the darkness. Torture.. The feel of snapping bones.. burning skin. I now wished I had embraced the darkness in stead of pushing it away.

A memory of a bird cutting into my flesh flashed before my eyes.. then faded away. I couldn't hold onto it, it was already to far away.. out of reach. Forgotten.

The pain increased, and I screamed again. I wanted to beg for someone to kill me now, before I could live out another second of this agony. But my lips wouldn't form the words I wanted them to. I felt my heart beat quicker and the pain intensified. The acid water was in my system, dragging something out of me that wouldn't let go.

All I wanted was to die. To have never been born. The whole of my existence didn't outweigh this pain. It wasn't worth living though for one more heart beat.

The pain raged on, never ceasing, it was all there was.. Just the burning torture and my shrieks, pleading wordlessly for my death. Nothing else, not even time. It had no beginning.. no end. Just forever pain.

Then a change. Someone's voice broke through my clouded mind, triggering the release of what the acid was tugging on. The pain dimmed slightly, as my muscles tensed and relaxed. I felt things disappearing on me. I felt my body change. It was painful, unconformable, yet accelerating at the same time.

I felt power. Strength. My body thirst for bloodshed. Everything changed. My mind was clear, quick and persist. The way I thought differed. The pain was gone. I opened my eyes. Everything around me was shadowed by smoke, and yet I could see the particles so clearly. The air was full of so many different scents I couldn't name them all. The sounds of the world, were so clear.. loud.

I heard the sound of others. Breathing, heartbeats. Each scent marked a different person in the area, each alien, and new, except for one. Her scent was a mix of graveyard soil, roses.. death. I knew this scent even though it was different.. even though it was new. I heard a faint sound in the background. Clashing iron and the scent of human blood. A war. I was mystified at my range of hearing and smell. But it seemed normal.

I realized someone was watching me. I jumped to my feet with a start, landing in front of the threat. It wasn't a threat. But she was dangerous. A dangerous human.. my higher up. The only person I'd respond to.

She looked weak, and I placed myself beside her. I knew that because in one way or another this human was connected to me. Dangerous but not to me. She wouldn't hurt me, and I knew somewhere that by all means I had to protect her.

The smoke cleared. A few feet away, stood the unknown creatures. I automatically searched for any sign of danger. They stood still.. unmoving, hands at their sides.. no harmful weapons. A hag.. too old to be threatened by her. A yokai.. A fox.. their speciality were tricks and illusions, they weren't that strong and this one was still just a kit. A inu hanyo.. the threat. He was the danger.. he had claws, he was almost an adult, older than I, experience and strength radiated off him.

He stepped forward.

Air hissed up my throat, spitting through my clenched teeth, with a low menacing sound. Before the sound was up, I found myself crouching in front of her, blocking the danger from getting any closer. My lips curled over my teeth, as the menacing growl continued to escape.. He was too close.

I heard the human behind me taking in a breath, and I felt her hand brush the top of my head slightly, "Stop it.. Kaori," she breathed. Suddenly I felt the urge to obey. I had to.. I didn't want to, but had to. I wanted to kill him. He was a danger.. but she didn't want me to.

I was standing beside her a second later, glaring menacingly at the hanyo. No one else moved in the area. No one else was hazardous. The human woman stepped past me, staring blankly at the danger in front of her.

"Kill her," she stated blankly. Something clicked in my mind, and told me who that was. I whipped around, happy that the thirst for death inside would be quenched. Behind me stood a skinny hag. Her bulging red eyes started at me in disbelief as I advanced toward her.

"What are you doing!" she shrieked, her shrill voice hurting my ears, "I was the one who revived your sister! I was the one who awakened your yokai blood! Do you really want to kill the woman who made you what you are?"

The words that came out of my mouth were words I didn't intend of saying. It was like my soul was talking instead. Like I was speaking someone else's words. "You dragged us out."

I flexed my claws and jumped toward her, my claws ripping though the paper thin flesh. This feeling caused a rush to run through me. It didn't quench the thirst for bloodshed.. it made it stronger.

As soon as I considered it, I was back by the human's side, my claws dripping with the hag's dirty blood.

"I did not intend to wake again.." the human breathed, "I did not intend for you to be plagued with the thirst for death as you are now.." She looked toward me when she said it, and my head throbbed violently.

"Onee-sama.." The fat hag breathed, staring at us. No threat.

"You.. You really are Kikyo aren't you?" Something about the hazard's voice triggered a something of pain, that shot through my body.

The human slowly looked up toward him, her expression grave. "Inu.. yasha.." My human staggered toward him. I followed close behind. He was dangerous but so was she.. She didn't want me to deafened her.. She would let me fight when it was time.

Her aura changed, and I felt a burst of pleasure run through my veins. I crouched down beside her, my body tense and ready to pounce. My human looked up at the danger, her grave expression suddenly turning into one of hatred.

"WHY DID YOU BETRAY ME!" she screeched. Suddenly crackling yellow light appeared at her hands where she held onto his red kimono. I couldn't stay in control any longer. I pounced forwards my claws flexed. He dodged my attack by mere inches.. which brought on the urge to kill him more.

It was a muffle of sounds after that. I continued to pursue him. His words I knew.. but I couldn't comprehend what they meant.. nor did I care. Instincts took over. I didn't know what happened after that. Everything was a burr. My full instincts blocking out everything so I could concentrate on my objective. I had noticed.. that with the sounds, and smells I got easily distracted.

But suddenly there was a change. I was thrown back against the rock wall. Cracking my head. I was shocked.. confused. I had thought I couldn't be defeated in anyway. But he had easily tossed me away when he actually started to fight back.. Like I was a nothing compared to him.. a bug. Something flashed before my eyes.

_"Yes!" I shouted back. He had my body in an iron grip, shaking me with every word he spoke. "I broke the jewel! I don't need to be reminded you stupid idiot! I know what I did but it's not my fault!"_

I shook my head, to rid the strange thought. I didn't know where it came from.. I didn't remember anything from before this time. I stumbled to my feet and stepped forward, watching my human fight the hanyo alone.

She pulled out a bow and arrow and aimed it toward him. Another flash.

_I grabbed onto her pant leg. Tears streamed down my face as I watched my sister and friend fight the battle that would end their lives. "Kikyou-Onee-Sama! Stop! Please! Stop it!"_

"Don't move!" my human shouted, snapping the picture out of my mind. "This time you won't revive!"

Revive?

_"Kikyo forgive me." I whispered and pulled. The arrow vanished in a pink light and my hand was left grasping the air._

She let the arrow fly. The hanyo growled and cut the incoming arrow with his claws. He slapped the bow aside and held her wrists back, staring at her angrily.

"What are you doing, Inuyasha!" she hissed, glaring at him. I wanted to protect her.. save her from the danger.. but the name she had spoken had been another trigger. I watched as soundless images flashed before my eyes.. but listened to the scene I was blind to, carefully.

"Shut up!" the boy shouted. Inuyasha..

_"Shut up! You dared to kidnap Kaori, put her in danger, and you're gonna pay right now!"_

"It's not like I'm trying to get you to like me after all that's happened but.."

_He grabbed my hand, pulling it away. Holding arm just above my elbow, he looked at me, his face pleading, guilty.. as if he was losing an internal struggle with himself. His amber eyes stared at me in a way I had seen him look at Kikyo so many times before.._

_"It's not.. like that," he whispered._

"There's no way I'm gonna let you kill me when I haven't done anything wrong!" he snapped.

"Haven't.. done anything..?" My human looked taken back.. shocked. "Don't play innocent.. that was you.. You were the one whose claws tore into me! You snatched away the Shikon No Tama.. you deceived me!"

_A clawed hand snatched my hair and yanked upwards, causing me to cry out in pain. Another hand snatched the two Shikon shards around my neck, and I heard him chuckle, "Did you honestly think I'd let you get in my way? The jewel is something to precious for someone such as you to hold in their possession."_

"At that time.. you said you were going to become human.. You would be human.. and we would live together.." Her voice broke.

_"And I'll bet you still want the jewel to become a yokai?" Maybe my questions will force him to look at me. "I thought you said you'd use it to become human."_

"I was serious!" the hanyo shouted, "I truly loved you!"

"Don't say it!" she snapped, struggling against him, " I was a damn fool! For just a moment, I'd thought I wanted to be with you!"

Something inside me clicked.. or maybe snapped. I dropped to my knees, my arms resting beside me.. my neon blue bangs covering my face. I didn't remember why.. I didn't know when, where I was or how I got here. But strange familiar images kept flashing through my mind. Each of them involved the threat to my human's life.. Each of them hurt. Each of them filled with either sadness, anger, confusion. The confessions from the two before me felt like knives to my heart.. but why?

The hanyo pulled my human to him, wrapping his arms around her. "Cut it out!" he shouted.

"Inu.. yasha.." she gasped. The word triggered more pulses of pain in my head.

"You see, Kikyo.." he whispered, sending another pulse of pain. These names.. it hurt me to hear them.. they were connected to something tragic.. in the time before I could remember. "You've had a heart-breaking experience too.. because you.. are a human woman.. You had been far more.. heart-broken then I..."

The scent of salty tears hit my nose. "Let go, Inuyasha.. It's too late.." the human whispered. Sparks of yellow light appearing at the places where she touched him. He jumped back in pain.

"I detested you, at the moment of my death.." she shouted. "My soul cannot move beyond that.."

Something was changing.. my devotion and urge to protect the human was weakening.. something else was over powering it.. the corners of my vision blurred red. My fangs, claws grew.. my thirst for blood doubled..

"AS LONG AS YOU LIVE, I CANNOT REST!"

Another snap. My vision was red. Everything.. red.. Suddenly I was on my feet, more lethal and bloodthirsty than before. I was between the two in a millisecond, low menacing aggressive growls rippling from my throat. But my urge to protect my sister was gone.. I had remembered my life.. she wouldn't hurt him.

"Kaori!" she gasped, glaring at me, "You've turned on me.. You have betrayed me just as everyone else!"

It was hard to breath.. it was hard to control myself. I didn't want to hurt her.. she was my sister.. but I wouldn't let her kill him either. I tried to stay sane.. but it was fading away and my instincts were trying to take over. My familiarity with her vanished.. and she became the new danger.. the new thing that must be destroyed.

Her eyes narrowed, and she stepped forward, ignoring my growls, "You will not.. stand in my way."

Three arrows.. shot toward me. Snapped, and broken a second later. I was now inches from her, my claws flexed and outstretched to kill her. Who ever she was.. she was a danger to my life. Blinding white crackling light kept her from me, burning my skin where it made contact. Holy powers..

Explosion. I was thrown back by the pure light. Cracking my skull on the stone wall. I didn't feel the pain.

"_but that wasn't me, Kaori," he whispered._

"Baka.." I whispered, as the thing my eyes would see was silver and red.. chasing after raven and crimson.

My dreams revealed my inner most soul.. and my thoughts were chaos. What was I..? A yokai, hanyo.. But.. was there ever a time I had been this way before..? I couldn't remember, but my mind wandered carefully over a night of rain and thunder, a brunette woman carrying me to a village.. Who.. was that?

I thought back over my childhood, my sicknesses, my weaknesses as a human.. My sister.. She had used her spiritual powers to protect the Shikon No Tama from yokai.. But.. Inuyasha needed the Shikon No Tama as those yokai, in order to become one of them. He would always follow us, chase us, for I was always with Kikyo.. She fought back but never killed him.. While she had him pinned to those trees, my curiosity would get the better and I would sit at his feet, asking him what it was like to be hanyo.. In exchange for answers I would pull the arrows out, and secretly return them to Kikyo's quiver.. or maybe she knew what I was doing, for these attacks soon turned into visits where I would play with Inuyasha, and she would talk with him.

I don't really know how they made it exactly from being enemies to lovers.. but they did.. and she wanted him to be human and live with her, to get rid of the jewel. I remember that most clearly.. for.. the jewel had sparked my own interest, and I was more on the side of Inuyasha to be yokai, but even more so on the side of I to be hanyo. I wanted to be the same as him, I wanted him to be happy. Human.. wouldn't make him happy.. and so I cried at this decision.. But then the day they were supposed to meet and make that exchange.. he attacked the village and Kikyo attacked him..

They hated each other.

My mind wandered over the memory of my attacker who looked so similar to Inuyasha.. and back to my thoughts the night previous.. was I right?

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

Shippo sat beside the blue haired girl, staring into her face. "She does sorta look like Kaori.. She smells like Kaori.. She sounds like Kaori.. I think she is Kaori."

"Yes Shippo.. this is indeed Kaori-sama," Meoga said, hopping onto the girls face, and drinking her blood, "Mmmmm.. Her blood has a similar taste...although it is much more delicious now."

"I don't get it! How can you be so sure this is that stupid monkey-girl!" Inuyasha shouted. He'd chased after Kikyo.. but her soul was so full of malice and hatred, it had ended her life just as it started. She hadn't let him save her, and now she was really gone. "Look at her she looks nothing like Kaori! This wench is a hanyo, Kaori is an abnormal human! Kaori has always been a human and always will be!"

"Actually Inuyasha, that is wrong," Kaede sighed, staring at the girl's face. "Kaori hasn't always been in human form. Two years before you came to our village, it had only been me and Onee-sama. A human woman came to our village, with Kaori, in the form you see her in now.. Her village had threatened that they would kill her and the child if she didn't dispose of Kaori.. so she left.."

"Kaori's mother was a descendant of Midoriko.. a great priestess that created the Shikon No Tama many years ago.. and she held the Shikon No Tama. But at the time of her arrival.. Onee-sama had been very ill.. life-threateningly ill.. and Kaori was weak from travel. They stayed in the same room, Onee-sama and Kaori, for as you know hanyo's can't get as sick as easily as humans. We never figured out what happened that night.. but the next morning Kaori's mother was gone, Onee-sama was cured, the Shikon No Tama in our care and Kaori had turned into a little human girl.. It's all quite complicated.. and confusing.. but one thing for sure is this is Kaori."

"But I wonder.." Meoga murdered, "Will she be the same Kaori as when she was human.. or will her personality change completely?"

"Wha?" Shippo gasped, staring wide-eyed at the flea.

"Well, her yokai blood.. feelings.. and nature had been suppressed when she was human.. maybe now that they have reemerged and now that Kikyo's part of her soul is gone maybe she'll be different.."

The girl's eyes opened. Meoga and Shippo stepped back into the safety of Inuyasha's presence. She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, her black inu ears drooped to the sides, and her tail wrapped around her. Her gaze drifted from the ground to the group watching her.

"Baka.." she whined, glaring at Inuyasha, "Osuwari!"

Inuyasha's face plummeted into the ground, "Damn you.. WHY DID YOU DO THAT FOR?"

"That's for keeping secrets from me, breaking your promise!" she growled, "Kaede, I would osuwari-" Inuyasha did another face plant, "you too if I could!"


	8. Hanyo

A/N: fndkjfndskfnsdjfdsnfsdjk yay, dates: sept 17-18 (only cause it takes place all at nighht timme) i just gave a hint to the chappter ]:

* * *

**You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.**

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I Do Not Own Inuyasha

* * *

8. Hanyo

My dream of becoming a hanyo had been shattered, then turned into a nightmare. Inuyasha had made it that way. Instead of him seeing me as an equal, I was dangerous to the village in his eyes. Someone that needed to be watched 24/7. Kaede, Shippo and Meoga had also made this worse for me. They acted like nothing had changed. They still treated me like I was still human. Their attitude didn't differ in the slightest from before.

I lay on the floor of Kaede's hut, staring at the gain in the wood above. Everything that my human eyes had missed these eyes picked up, noticed, caught. I didn't feel as tired as I used to be at this hour. I looked at my vibrant blue hair that sparkled silver were the moonlight hit. My hair was so different. My face was unfamiliar, my voice had changed slightly into a musical symphony. My body had changed, and my thirst for power and strength had been quenched. But the only thing that bothered me was.. Inuyasha didn't seem to trust me anymore.

He watched more carefully, cautiously, like I would snap any minute, and go rampant on the village. He looked at me like I was an alien, abnormal.. A freak. I looked toward his still form in the corner, expecting him to be asleep. But instead his golden eyes glowed in the darkness, studying every move I made.

I sighed and looked through the cracks in the roof. The only thing remaining of the moon was a tiny sliver. I got to my feet and walked outside, ignoring the glowing golden orbs following as I made my way across the room.

I inhaled the evening air as my naked feet touched the cool earth. I walked silently through the village, my white chiffon knee length gown rippling in the cool breeze. I got to the tree where I had been with Inuyasha earlier. I felt my face flush and I trailed my finger along the bark. His scent was still there..

I wondered.. How I had felt at that time when I first changed.. I was still trying to wrap my mind around that, but did Inuyasha feel like that always? I remembered how he trembled when he got so angry to a certain point.. maybe.. and.. well.. He wanted to become yokai right..? What will that do, make him stronger.. on the inside? I wondered if it was more than just physical strength he was looking for.. maybe he wanted to forget Kikyo..?

"What the hell are you doing?"

I spun around. Inuyasha was standing behind me, his glowing eyes watching me suspiciously.

"What the hell are _you_ doing?" I repeated, "I guess you're spying on me, I suppose?" I jumped into the branches above.

"No. Who would spy on someone like you!" he replied, jumping onto the same branch.

"Then _why_ are you here!" I snapped. He didn't answer. His expression hardened as he gazed at me. I growled and looked away. Why did he always have to stay silent and never answer me? Why was he so distant? Seconds ticked by and the silence grew uncomfortable.

"So.. what do you think?" I asked, "I mean I know it's a hard concept to grasp, you, thinking.. but just bear with me."

He growled, "About what, exactly?"

"What happened."

He was silent and didn't answer me. I wanted to tell him my theory, that someone had pretended to be either of them.. but.. for some reason it sounded almost silly.

A unsettling feeling, forced me to look into the sky. There was a carriage silhouetted against the moon.

Inuyasha abruptly jumped up, staring wide-eyed at the carriage. "O.. ofukuro?"

A angelic raven haired woman, looked out from the open back, looking down to the earth. I felt my ears turn to the sides in aggravation as I inspected the carriage in the sky. He'd called this woman 'Ofukuro'.. Rude slang for mother.. pfft, leave it to him to call his mother such a thing.

The woman's eyes widened in shock as she noticed us in the tree.. Her eyes were the same as his, except her eyes were warm brown instead of piercing amber.

"Inuyasha.." she whispered. Her gaze flickered to me, then back to Inuyasha.

I didn't get it.. I knew Inuyasha's parents were dead, Meoga had told me that when I was young, he had also told me her name. Izayoi. But.. how could she be his real mother when his real mother was dead?

Dark purple and grey clouds formed in the sky, and a huge green hand shot from the clouds...the hand seemed familiar in some way.

I felt a smirk appear on my face as I noted the similarities to this monster hand and my birthday present. But then my smirk was replaced with a frown of horror as the hand crushed the carriage that held Izayoi within. The monster that was attached to the hand, was gigantic. Dark green, red horns.. yellow glowing eyes. It grasped Inuyasha's mother in his hand, crushing her weak human body, which I could now see was bound by thick iron chains.

Inuyasha growled and shot forward toward the yokai. I followed after him. They couldn't do that to her. Flames appeared abruptly, shooting toward us. It whizzed past.. missing us by mere inches. I landed on the ground beside Inuyasha, staring in shock at the two figures standing casually on the yokai's shoulder.

One was a small green toad, with hands that had more a resemblance to my deceased present than the giant. The other a feminine looking man, with ankle length silver hair, high cheek bones, with eyes the same shade of gold as Inuyasha's although his were hard and cold.. Their scents were slightly similar, but the new man smelt more of yokai than anything.

"Jaken," the man breathed, staring down upon Inuyasha, "We'll talk first, kill later."

"Yes, my lord," replied the toad, holding a large wooden staff in his hands. The staff had two heads carved into the wood. One a human woman.. the other a old yokai man.

"Sesshoumaru! You bastard!" Inuyasha shouted, getting to his feet. The name was familiar.. Meoga had mentioned it once.. or twice in his stay.

"Oh..? Well done, it seems you've remember.." The silvered haired yokai said, his face slightly amused. "..the face of your elder brother."

Eh? Elder brother? INUYASHA HAD A BROTHER AND HE NEVER TOLD ME! God more secrets, I feel so betrayed.. again..

Sesshoumaru's eyes flicked to mine, and a smirk appeared on his pale face, "Well if it isn't another pathetic hanyo. Well I'll have to admit, little brother, you've finally done better. At least she's the improved version of the trash you used to be with."

My eyes narrowed and a growled escaped my lips. He was talking about Kikyo. Inuyasha glanced at me, then looked at his older brother again.

"Inuyasha, a hanyo whose mother is a vile creature like a human.." Sesshoumaru hissed, pulling on the chain wrapped around Inuyasha's mother's neck, "You have brought shame upon our family."

A low formidable growl spat through Inuyasha's teeth. "Sesshoumaru, you bastard.. Did you come all this fucking way just to say that?"

Sesshoumaru scoffed and folded his arms over his chest, "Moron.. I do not have that much spare time. I've come to ask you for the location of Chichi-ue's tomb."

"Oyaji's tomb!" He shouted back, "I dunno, I have no clue."

Wow.. despite their recent squabbles they seem to get along great!

"Is that so?" Sesshoumaru questioned, "Well then, it can't be helped.. your mother will just have to suffer."

The giant yokai crushed Izayoi harder in it's fist, and she cried out in pain. Uh.. I take back the 'getting along great' thing..

Inuyasha scoffed, but glared at Sesshoumaru, unmoving and still, "Keh! Think I'm stupid, you bastard! Ofukuro's been dead for years!"

Sesshoumaru chuckled, his face full of amusement, "What a moron you are.. When especially for your sake, your mothers soul.. was brought back from the land of the dead.. I even gave her a body."

Oh great! Another resurrected person! First it was the Centipede jourou, then Inuyasha, then Kikyo and now Inuyasha's mother! Who next! My pet goldfish, that's been dead for 8 years, is holding up his fin! Resurrect him next!

Izayoi reached out her hand weakly toward her son. "Inu.. Inuyasha.." she gasped, "Don't concern yourself with me.. as my body has died once already.." The green yokai dug it's claws into her flesh, and she cried out in pain.

"Shit!" Inuyasha shouted, jumping toward the green giant. "Sankon Testusou!" Gold light appeared from his claws and the yokai's hand was slashed to pieces. Izayoi plummeted toward the ground. I felt my heart skip a beat and I sprinted until I was directly under her, trying to catch her.. but I ended up sprawled down in the dirt, her landing on top of me. Ugh.. I was no good at this.

I heard Sesshoumaru chuckle, watching me carefully, "Your hanyo girlfriend is quite amusing Inuyasha."

"I'm not his girlfriend!"I shouted, helping Izayoi up into a sitting position.

"Inuyasha!" she shouted. I snapped my head up searching for the reason of her shouting. Sesshoumaru was shooting toward Inuyasha, who was under the feet of the green yokai. A blinding white light appeared between Izayoi's hands, and it grew to an enormous size, swallowing us in a vortex of white light.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

I opened my eyes to the blinding light above. I heard water, birds, and voices in the background. I smelt the scent of earth, sunshine, Inuyasha, and a mix of many more scents that I couldn't name. Everything scent here seemed to be mixed into another.. almost as if it were fake.

I tried to sit up. But it was like chains were binding me down. I felt a heavy weight on my body, and chaotic memories from my transformation flashed before my eyes. I banished the thoughts as quickly as my mind made it possible. I didn't want to remember the pain.. The pain had only made this nightmare worse. But the feeling of being tied up sent waves of hysteria through out my body. I couldn't calm myself down, when all I could think about that the pain and the razor sharp rope from before.

I looked across the small lily pond, my heart pounding hard in my chest. Inuyasha stood on the other side, facing his mother. But.. along with all the muddled scents in this place.. her's I couldn't even pick up. I didn't even remember her having a scent.

I looked into the water by their feet. I saw Inuyasha's reflection sparkling in the crystal clear water.. but his mother's was there with out a face. She was.. a yokai in disguise. I opened my mouth to call out to him, but sound wouldn't come..

My heart pounded in my ears and my breathing was quick and panicked. I couldn't calm myself down, the hysteria to intense. I couldn't move, couldn't speak, and Inuyasha's mother wasn't real. Maybe this is what Inuyasha had been so worried about with my transformation. I couldn't control myself as well as I had been when I was human. Instincts were constantly trying to take over, either ones to fight or to flee.

"Inuyasha.." the yokai spoke, a kind smile on its face as it looked at Inuyasha, "I must return to the other world soon."

"Y-yeah.. You're going then..?" Inuyasha stammered. Did he not realize that this woman wasn't his mother? Or was he in denial..? I guess seeing your mother for the first time would put you into denial if she wasn't who you thought she was.

The yokai cupped air in its hands and a glowing lily faded into view. She turned toward the water and slightly pushed it down, making the petals fall off as it drifted into the pond.

"Inuyasha, look at the water's surface," It said, turning it's head to look at Inuyasha. He obeyed his 'mother' and crouched down by the water's edge staring at his reflection surrounded by lily petals.

I couldn't see what he was looking at but his expression turned to one of slight surprise at what he saw. I had been hoping he'd see the yokai's refection.. but the minor surprise and no anger had proved he hadn't.

"Do you remember, Inuyasha? When you were very young..?" The yokai bent down behind him and wrapped her arms around him, "Mother would hold you, just like this..?"

Finally Inuyasha held the expression I had been hoping for. Deceived, betrayal, anger, hurt, shock, and sadness flashed before his eyes as he noticed her reflection. He looked up at her, "You.. You are.."

"My darling boy.." the yokai smiled, "There's a good child.. Let's hold each other close, to our hearts, okay?"

Inuyasha turned around, trying to push her away, "What the hell are you..!"

Suddenly her hands dug into his back, and he was forced closer to her, "I won't let you go.." she hissed, "Become one with me.."

I tried to move. She was pulling him inside her, and I was bound by invisible chains! It was hard to breath.. in no time we'd both probably be gone.

The heavy invisible silver chains became visible at that moment and appeared around my body and wrists. Little green goblins either pulled on them, or ran around me inspecting my body.. The crystal clear water from the pond became dark and thick. The sunny world around me became dark, barren, an evil place. I had been right. The place before was fake.. just an illusion.. just as Izayoi had been.

I struggled to move. Being bound made me think of the pain. I didn't want to remember. It was to terrifying.. and I had found myself wondering if my new found strength had been worth it all.. for it seemed nobody liked it.

"Kaori-sama!" I felt something small land on my cheek, "Hang on! It's me Meoga-jiji!"

He bent down and inspected the chains. "You poor thing.. you've been bound and can't move.. must be terrifying after what happened earlier.." he trailed off looking down at my exposed skin.

I snapped my hand up, and squashed the bug in my hand. I sat up, and glared at the cowardly flea, "Thanks.. It seems I can move now."

"Heh.. no problem"

I looked back toward Inuyasha, my instincts starting to gain control. He was halfway absorbed into her already. I growled and got to my feet.

"No Kaori-sama!" Meoga shouted in my ear.

"What!" I yelled back, feeling more and more aggressive as my animal instincts slowly took over.

"Don't fall prey to your instincts!" he shouted again, pulling most of my aggression away, "This was what Inuyasha-sama was worried about.."

"Huh?" Was all I could manage, as I tried to understand his words.

"If you let your instincts take control.. you'll end up like earlier, you won't be able to differ friend from foe. Inuyasha knew what was happening to you on the mountain, when you went to attack Kikyo-sama. You're still new at this and it may seem easier to fight when your instincts take over, but you may end up killing Inuyasha-sama instead."

I growled as I fought against my instincts and locked them up someplace secret. I couldn't kill Inuyasha, "So your saying I have to always use my brain when I fight and I'm not aloud to go rampant!What's the fun in that?"

"Well you have no control over them.. Kaori-sama.." Meoga sighed as I ran toward them, yanking on Inuyasha's hair.

"'Ey! What are you doing, you pathetic hanyo!" The green toad called Jaken screamed from beside me, "We're busy here!"

"The right.. black pearl.." Inuyasha murmured.

"The right black peal? What does that mean!" Jaken asked, shooting flames at me from his wooden staff. I wished I could go rampant on him!

"Jaken-sama.. To probe any further would break the child's soul.." The yokai said in a solemn voice, seeming completely oblivious to my struggles to get Inuyasha away from her.

"Break it then!" the green toad shouted, "If you don't find the location of the tomb I'll have to take punishment from Sess-"

"You stupid freaking toad!" I shouted, smacking him across the head with his own wooden staff, "Don't ever get in my way again!" I threw him into the air and swung the staff at him, making him go flying out of sight. Cool I could be in the baseball team.

I whipped around and grabbed onto Inuyasha again. "You freak yokai! Let go of Inuyasha!"

The yokai hissed and shot backwards pulling Inuyasha out from my grasp, "I wont!"

She pulled herself to the other side of the pond where it was shallow. I growled and ran through the shin deep water, splashing it everywhere, getting the bottom of my nightgown soaked. I grasped onto Inuyasha's arm but as soon as I did, he came out.

"Inuyasha!" I picked myself off the ground where I had fell, and crawled over to him. He was conscious again, "Are you okay?"

He glared at the ground, his hands clenched into fists, "Da.. Damn it.. Damn it!"

"Inuyasha.. I have figured out the location of the tomb.." A hand shot down and grabbed Inuyasha's neck and held him at eye level. Sesshoumaru.. "To think it would be in such a fantastic place.. that even this Sesshoumaru failed to perceive it."

I burst out into laughter, and fell to the floor. "That's rich.. I can't believe it.. 'This Sesshoumaru'? Gosh.. You're not a.. egotistical jerk now are you?" I said between laughter. I whipped the tears from my eyes, and motioned for him to continue. "Sorry, sorry I can't control myself, please continue."

"Uh.. Kaori-sama.. I don't think laughing at this time was the wisest of choices," Meoga stuttered.

"What-" Suddenly a neon green light lashed out toward me, and I jumped back earning a cut on my cheek from it. I felt hot sticky blood run down my face, and I scowled at the older brother. He has NO sense of humour.

Sesshoumaru glared back at me, then turned his gaze toward Inuyasha. "You should teach your girlfriend to keep her mouth shut, little brother."

"I'm not his girlfriend!" I shouted, getting to my feet.

"Sesshoumaru, you bastard.." Inuyasha gasped.

"But.. Chichi-ue certainly hid the tomb in a strange place," Sesshoumaru continued, falling back into his own little world again, "The right black pearl.. huh.. Perhaps, to prevent his corpse from being violated.. Chichi-ue packed and sealed his tomb in there."

"Bastard.." Inuyasha growled, trying to pry Sesshoumaru's arm from his neck, "What the hell are you blabbering about!"

"Was it entrusted to you without your knowledge, then? Well, in that case.." he plummeted two of his fingers into Inuyasha's right eye, "Why don't we pay a visit to Chichi-ue's grave together!"

I gasped and stumbled back a few steps. Blood ran down Inuyasha's face and dripped from Sesshoumaru's fingers. It was sicking.. It looked heart-wrenchingly painful. I felt the colour drain from my face as I stared at the small little ball between Sesshoumaru's fingers.

He threw Inuyasha to the ground, in a huff, and looked at the pearl. I ran over to Inuyasha, in a speed I didn't know I had. As soon as I had considered running over to him, I was already there. I fell to my knee's beside him, as he sat up, holding his right eye, glaring at his brother.

"Are you alright, Kaori-sama? You look pale.." Meoga said, hopping onto my knees.

"Well of course I would be pale! Look at what I just witnessed! But why are you worrying about me, he's the one who's injured!" I shouted.

"No wonder I couldn't locate it, no matter how much I scoured the earth.." Sesshoumaru mumbled, holding the pearl in his fist, "There is only one clue to the tombs where abouts.. 'A place one can see, but never be seen.. A place that the grave keeper can never look upon'. So that's it.. the black pearl was hidden in that bastard's right eye.."

"Bastard.." Inuyasha scowled again, "Just for that.. you went so far as to make that fake copy of my mother.." he leaped forwards his claws flexed, "I wont forgive you!"

Sesshoumaru dodged the attack easily, being faster than both me and Inuyasha put together, "I'm in a hurry.." he hissed, his claws tensed, "So if you get in my way, you'll have to die."

I couldn't fight it any longer. My vision blurred red, and I was on my feet in an instant. I didn't know anything.. just the danger that stood in front of me. The yokai's attack stopped, and he stared at me with blank expression.

"Interesting.. she denies the fact that she cares for you, little brother, and yet she gives in to her yokai instincts just to protect your pathetic existence."

I didn't know who he was talking to.. or about, his words a jumble inside my head. A growl ripped through my fangs, and his blank expression turned into an amused smile. He cracked his knuckled and jumped toward me, claws flared.

Blood lust boiled in my stomach and I growled again, the urge to kill the danger to strong.

I stepped forwards, my own claws ready to tear. But something grasped onto my tail and yanked me out from the line of fire. The feeling of something on my tail sent shivers down my spine and I fell backwards into a tree. I something pinned my arms to the bark and I struggled against it, trying to get away.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" It shouted, "Are you mental? Do you want to die!"

The redness faded away, and my vision cleared. Blood lust was no longer a problem, nor where my instincts. Inuyasha had his hands around my arms, and he was staring at me with a angry, yet worried expression.

I swallowed nervously, I had never seen him look like this.. "Sorry.." I looked to the ground, my ears drooping. "I..I couldn't control myself.."

"Ah Sesshoumaru-sama!" The green toad was back. My eyes narrowed as I saw him pick up the wooden staff. "I-I have retrieved the Nintoujou!"

Sesshoumaru looked at him from the corner of his eye, "Lose it again, and I'll kill you," he snatched the staff from the toad's hand and looked at the pearl, "I'd grown tired of waiting for this.."

He placed the pearl on the ground, and raised the staff over it. He stabled the jewel, and the old man's head, on the staff broke into laughter.

"The old man's laughing!" The toad cried, "The tomb is opening!" A vortex of black light appeared from the jewel, and Sesshoumaru smirked. The black light swallowed them.. then they were gone.

"Inuyasha-sama.." Meoga shouted, hopping up and down on his shoulder. "Before the portal closes, quickly go in after.. Sesshoumaru-sama is going to monopolize your fathers treasure.."

Inuyasha snarled and turned away from me, "I'm not interested in that."

Meoga gasped, and fell on to his bottom, "No.. no way.. such a waste.."

"Shut up will ya!" Inuyasha snapped, "I didn't say I wasn't going!"

I pulled myself from the tree and ran over to the portal. I was half-way through when someone grasped my tail again. I gasped as another shiver ran through my body and my face filled with heat. I snapped my head back, to see Inuyasha glaring at me, the end of my tail clenched in his fist. Was this the reason why animals didn't like their tails touched?

"Where the hell do you think you're going!" he growled. I shook off the shivering pleasure and rolled my eyes. I grabbed onto his kimono pulling both him and myself into the portal.

"We're going after that mental, egotistical jerk, of course," I answered. We landed on skeletal bird, and I groaned in irritation, "Why does everything have to be skeletal.."

I glanced over toward Inuyasha, who was glaring at me grudgingly, "What?"

"I don't get you.." he answered.

"I don't get me either. I'm a mental half-monkey, half-dog human mutant thing remember?" I sighed.

He seemed to lapse into his own thoughts and I let the subject drop. Below was a mass of bone and skeletons, cluttering the misty earth. The bones stretched out for miles in every direction. In the middle there was a ivory white structure, with strange colours over it.

"Oyaji.." Inuyasha murmured, staring at mass of bone. Then I understood. Everything here.. wasn't many different skeletons.. it was all one piece. The mass bone structure was the torso. .the strange colours it's undecomposable armour.. This was Inuyasha's father.

"Wow.. It's so.. so.. huge!" I gasped.

"Well what did you expect! Something ant sized!"

"Actually yeah."

I tried not to barf as the scent of the dead and decomposing flesh suddenly hit my nose. It was horrible. The smell was like rotten meat, gym socks, and manure, all mixed together. The boy beside me seemed unaffected by the scent, but then again.. I had noticed it was easier to keep a straight face as a hanyo, and more so as a yokai.

"There's a treasure sword kept within your father remains.." Meoga spoke clearly, and calm. But his face showed that he was desperate to get Inuyasha interested in this sword of his father's. My mind wandered back to my two katanas in Kaede's hut. I still hadn't managed to use them since the battle with Yura. I had been half-conscious along the way to Urasue's place, and I didn't think I needed it when I went for my walk a few hours ago.

We hadn't had time to relax since I had gotten here.. It was always go, go, go! I think we deserved a day off.. or at least I did anyway. I had barely enough time to think before we were off fighting something else. I was still in my night-gown for heaven's sake! It wasn't dirty thankfully, only wet, but that could only last for so long.. I vowed after this, I was going home.. maybe to let Kagome force that birthday present on me.. oh yay a date with Hojo, whoopie.

"Sesshoumaru-sama is after that sword, and intends to snatch it away.." Meoga continued. Inuyasha had a look of minimal interest on his face. Why he wouldn't be interested in a treasure sword, I couldn't be sure, especially if it's his father's. I'd give anything to have something of my parents.. but our parents had died a long time ago.

But then.. there was something else I had been wondering about lately. If I was a hanyo.. then shouldn't my sisters be one as well? It doesn't make any scene as to why I'm part yokai and they're not.. since we are all blood related after all..

Inuyasha jumped from the skeletal bird, and into the skeletal structure of his father. I grabbed Meoga and followed in after, hoping that the speed of the fall wouldn't make me freeze up like it usually did when I was human.

Actually I enjoyed the fall.. the speed, the adrenaline that rushed through my veins as I sped towards the ground. It was quite easy to see why Inuyasha was always complaining about how slow human's are in travel. I just didn't know how I could have disliked this before.

I reached the ground shortly after Inuyasha, and already they had broken out into a fight. The smell of rot was worse in here. Maybe it was because we were in the middle of a decaying monster's body, or maybe it was because the floor was made up of human and animal bones. In the middle of the area, was a round golden pedestal. Words were carved into the gold, and I found myself trying to decipher what they meant. But on top of this golden art was something that seemed out of place. A sword.. A rusty, dusty, thin sword, that looked at though it couldn't even cut paper.

"What's up, Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru said casually, avoiding another of Inuyasha's attacks, "Did you come just to dig your own grave? Or could it be that.. you came for a chance at.. Chichi-ue's fang-sword Tetsusaiga?"

Inuyasha stopped attacking and looked at the rustic old sword, "Tetsusaiga..?"

"Draw it out, Inuyasha-sama!" Meoga shouted, jumping up and down eagerly, suddenly on Inuyasha's shoulder. "Sesshoumaru-sama.. it must be that.. you couldn't draw Tetsusaiga, could you!"

Sesshoumaru stared at the flea unemotionally. "Are you suggesting Inuyasha can?"

I stepped closer to the sword, my curiosity getting the better of me. What was so special about this hunk o' junk? Why in the world would a great yokai like Inuyasha's father have such a sword? It would be embarrassing just to be seen with it.

"Of course," Meoga cried, answering the older brother's question, "That the tomb was entrusted to Inuyasha-sama is proof enough. Now, quickly, Inuyasha-sama.."

Inuyasha scoffed, and rolled his eyes at the sword, "Keh! I'm not interested in some worn-out old sword.. Sesshoumaru! You damn bastard.." he leaped forwards his claws flexed once again, "How dare you keep screwing with me like that!"

Sesshoumaru avoided, yet again, his attack, "Where are you aiming?"

"Shit!" Inuyasha whipped around and sprinted forward again, "You jerk!"

Dodged.

"Crap!" Inuyasha cursed looking behind him, at his smirking older brother.

"Heh. Your fighting style is as childish as ever.." Sesshoumaru informed him, a hint of smugness to his tone.

"You can't win unarmed, Inuyasha-sama.." Meoga was really crying this time, "The sword.."

"Shut up!" Inuyasha barked. I gave an over exaggerated sigh and grabbed onto his ear pulling him towards the pedestal, "What the hell, Kaori!"

"You shut up!" I snapped, "Now listen! If that egotistical jerk couldn't pull out this hunk of crap and you could don't you think he'd be crushed? Because his stupid younger brother-"

"Hey!" Inuyasha interrupted, glaring at me.

"Shut up! Because his brother can do something he can't!"

He looked at the sword, and the corners of his mouth turned up into a smirk. "I get it.. It would be really annoying for him, huh.."

"I bet you can't do it." Sesshoumaru replied, emotionless.

"Heh.. This is your payback.. I want to see you weep, bastard!" Inuyasha shouted, grasping the sword in his hand.

"As I thought.." Meoga declared. "The Tetsusaiga is destined to be in the hands of Inuyasha-sama!"

Suddenly yellow bolts of lightning appeared around the sword, crackling and spitting in all directions. The sword wouldn't budge. Inuyasha's face grew dark as he took his hand of the sword.

"Oi.." he said unemotionally. Meoga yelped and went to flee, but the glowering hanyo caught him between his fingers, "I.. can't.. pull.. it.. out.. can.. I!" He hissed as he swished the cowardly bug in his hands.

"I.." Meoga gasped, "I don't get it!"

"The farce is over.." Sesshoumaru said monotonously. In the blink of an eye, he was inches away from Inuyasha. "It seems Tetsusaiga wasn't meant for you after all, bastard.." he flexed his claws. "Now be evaporated by my poison claws."

He swung his arm forward, attempting to hit Inuyasha, but he had avoided it at last second. Sesshoumaru's claws sunk into the bone behind his brother and it soon melted away..

Inuyasha sprinted to the other side of the room, but Sesshoumaru was inches away again. "You won't get away."

"Hiiii heh heh heh!" The green toad know as Jaken crackled, pulling out his wooden staff.. Cool. "I'll assist you Sesshoumaru-sam-!"

I jumped in front of him, and he yelped in surprise, "Hello.." I said in a innocent tone, "Remember me!" I snatched the staff from his hand and smacked him across the head with it like earlier. He flew to the other side of the room, and hit one of the monster's ribs.

"Heh, Kaori 2, little green toad -2000." I tossed the staff to the side and ran back to Tetsusaiga. I waved my hand over the top. Nothing. What was it that made the sword so special? Something hard smashed against my head and I stumbled forwards, grasping the sword for balance.

I looked behind me to see the toad, with the staff in his hand, smirking at me. I growled and whipped around, tackling the toad to the ground, the sword inches from his nose. "Your gonna pay you stupid little.."

I heard gasps from around me and looked up. Everyone was staring at me in shock. Inuyasha was pinned the ground by Sesshoumaru, poison claws hanging over his face, but they seemed to be frozen. Their eyes transfixed on something in my hand.

"What..?" I looked at the sword.. then towards the pedestal, empty. I jumped back in surprise staring at the sword in my hand. "Um.. I can explain?"

"Im-im-impossible!" Jaken sputtered, staring at me, his large yellow eyes bulging, "Inuyasha's case is irrelevant.. as even Sesshoumaru-sama couldn't pull Tetsusaiga out.. How could that half-demon wenc-"

"Hey! You watch you mouth, or I'll kick your butt to China!" I shouted, kicking the toad across the room.

Sesshoumaru stared at me, his eyes hard and cold like ice. Inuyasha seemed to notice, for he glared at his brother. "Don't you go looking else where!" he shouted.

But as soon as his sentence left his mouth, Sesshoumaru was looming over me. I shrunk back against the wall, my tail was between my legs and I felt my ears pin back.. This person was scary up close. I held Tetsusaiga close to my chest as he continued to cast his icy gaze upon me.

"Who are you?" he asked, his icy voice sending shivers down my spine, "Why were you able to draw Tetsusaiga?"

"How am I supposed to know!" I snapped. But then my courage vanished again as his gaze became colder and my body resumed the frightened position.

"Don't you touch her, Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha shouted, racing towards us, "That girl has nothing to do with this!"

Meoga sighed from his shoulder, something that I wouldn't have been able to pick up if I had been human, "Good thing he's after her now and not us, hey Inuyasha-sama?"

Stupid, ungrateful, jerk! Once we get out of this I'll make him wish he'd never said that!

"Shut up!" Inuyasha snapped, "Sesshoumaru! Leave her alone, she's not evolved in this!"

Sesshoumaru crackled his knuckles, the tips of his fingers glowing bright green, "I disagree. For an unknown reason I was unable to touch Tetsusaiga, fortunately you were unable to draw it out either. It's obvious that she must die."

"You're right, it is strange that she could pull out the sword and we couldn't, but she's just a girl," he looked toward me, "Give him the damn sword, there's no other choice."

"What the hell!" I snapped, "Why should I? I rather like the fact that he wants something he can't have! It might help his personality. Besides, where does it say he gets the sword! He couldn't even touch it!"

"Don't be stupid! You're only a girl, so back off, shut up, and butt out!" he shouted.

My eyes narrow and I pointed the sword at him. "You stupid sexist jerk! Why don't you shut the hell up! Your the one who's screaming your head off! If I was over there I'd shove this sword up your a-!"

"Inuyasha.. your patience with this girl is astonishing." Sesshoumaru sighed, interrupting my rant. I'd beat him up too if I wasn't so scared of him! "You protect her, indulge her, and even seem to love her.."

I felt my face burn at these words. What did he know! He didn't even know how to display his own feelings. How could he read others emotions, when he couldn't even read his own! Besides Inuyasha loved Kikyo, he even admitted it yesterday!

"Certainly.." he continued, running his fingers trough his hair, "certainly these.. feelings of mercy, of yours.. isn't something I inherited from our great.. and terrible father.. It must have been that mother of yours.. that _human_ mother. Who caused our father to meet his end in this ignoble place.. Her blood effects you as well. Is it _that_ which so endears you to them?"

He glanced toward me, "I do happen to realize that this girl was the younger sister of that human woman you used to indulge yourself with. She had been human.. only until a few days ago. Her transformation seems to have effected you in a negative way, little brother. Maybe you had wished her to stay human.. for it seems you are attracted to them the most.. just like our father. But I, however.."

_'Her transformation seems to have effected you in a negative way.. maybe you had wished her to stay human..'_ I knew that wasn't true. I knew Inuyasha had only worried about my lack of self-control, and probably was relieved that now I was a hanyo and wouldn't die as easily but.. the words Sesshoumaru had spoken still hurt.

He pointed his fingers towards me, and I felt the urge to flee, but I couldn't.. my body wouldn't move.. it wouldn't listen. I was like a deer in the headlights again, "bare no such weakness. Be annihilated.. by my dokkasou.. pathetic hanyo," he hissed.

Suddenly everything was dark. It was my calm cool darkness from before.. no pain. Not a single hint of pain like before. But.. It was like I was inside an air bubble under water. I heard the sound of crackling electricity, the everything was gone. The dark faded away. I found myself inside a blueish purple dome, staring at the claws of the yokai in front of me.

The mist poured from his hand, but it travelled over the dome, and I was unaffected from the inside. He stopped the poison mist, and my dome faded away. I quickly found my feet and sprinted past him, coming to a stop beside the shocked silver hanyo.

I pushed the sword into Inuyasha hands, and stood a few paces behind him, gasping. He blinked then whipped around, his face pale, "WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED!"

I crushed Meoga in my hand for getting calm when I was going to die, "I can't believe you were relived when that guy went after me!" I muttered, ignoring him.

"Hey..uh.. how come you're still alive?" Inuyasha asked, dragging my attention away from the disloyal insect.

I blinked, then stared at my hands, "If I knew everything, then my life would be a lot easier."

"I see.." Sesshoumaru said calmly, facing us, "The girl can create barriers.."

"Inuyasha-sama! No need to hesitate.." Meoga called, squirming out from my hand, "You should test Tetsusaiga's blade.. on Sesshoumaru's body!"

Sesshoumaru chuckled, as the whites of his eyes grew blood red, "How daring of you to say that.. We shall see, if a hanyo bastard like you can master the Tetsusaiga.. This Sesshoumaru would see that with his own eyes.."

Oh yeah! Well this Kaori would like him to shut the hell up!

Sesshoumaru's body was changing.. morphing into something more spectacular. Dark grey and white mist covered his body.. it cleared almost as fast and there stood and freaking HUGE dog! Like the size of a five story building!

"Oh my god.. That's a whole lot of angry dog.." I muttered, staring at the growling creature.

Inuyasha scoffed. "Keh! That bastards just shown his true form," he leaped toward the creature, "I'll cover this with your own blood!" he thrust the sword toward the monstrous dog, attempting to cut the flesh by it's ear. As soon as Tetsusaiga hit the scalp of the yokai it bounced back, not even leaving a mark behind.

"Oi Meoga-jijii.. What's the deal! This sword can't even bruise him, let alone behead him!" Inuyasha asked, dodging Sesshoumaru's poison claws.

"Erm.."Meoga answered whipping sweat from his brow, "Anyway Inuyasha-sama.. this sword is a memento of your father.. Believe in the sword's spiritual power! You must never abandon it! Well then.. if you'll excuse me.." he leaped from his shoulder and disappeared somewhere among the bones.

"Why you.." Inuyasha growled. He turned toward me, "You go find a place to hide or something!"

"What! Why should I!" I snapped, "I'm just as capable as fighting as you are!"

"Yes, you maybe capable, but it doesn't mean you know how!" he shouted, "At this rate your probably gonna die here anyways, letting you fight would just speed it up!"

I felt like someone had just slapped me across the face. Me being a hanyo was only more troublesome for him. He still wouldn't let me defend myself, and he still wouldn't let me fight.. My reasonable protesting where just irrelevant, annoying to him. I felt the tears well up in my eyes, and this time I didn't try to hide them.

"D.. D.. Don't cry!" he barked. His face was panicky like he didn't know what to do. But then that was normal . Kikyo had never cried, and when I had when I was little, one of the villagers helped me calm down. He had no experience, especially when it was him who made someone cry. The only reason he had such a cool face when I was with Koga because he KNEW what was wrong, most of the time, he didn't, "Shut up! I'm saying I'll protect you!"

Wrong. He was wrong. He thought I was upset over my death, but I wasn't. I didn't care if I died. I wasn't afraid. There could be nothing more painful then my transformation, so after that, death would be peaceful and painless to me, no matter how I died. But I stopped myself, just to give him that satisfaction. I'd go on a real crying spurt later, when there wasn't danger about.

"Jeez, just sit back and watch," he said, turning back toward his brother. Something pounded in my ears.. a heart beat. But it wasn't mine, nor any others in the room.. It came off Tetsusaiga.

I could hear it. Tetsusaiga's heartbeat. It beat just as strongly and steady as a yokai heart. Inuyasha stared at the sword in awe, he must've heard it too. This meant a change, a surge of power came from the sword, and even though I wasn't the one who held the sword in my hand, I could feel it too.

Inuyasha looked up toward Sesshoumaru, grasping the sword in two hands. He lept forward holding the sword horizontal. The rustic blade glowed as it sliced through the flesh of the dog form Sesshoumaru. I gasped in surprise. Only moments before the sword couldn't even cut a leaf, but now it had changed.. into a pearly white thick fang in Inuyasha's hand. Tetsusaiga surged with demonic power in it's true form.

Sesshoumaru stumbled in pain from his shoulder injury, and growled at his younger brother. I bet he's pretty messed up now, the transformation must have come as a surprise to him as it did to all of us.

"This is the end.. Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha shouted lunging forward. The sword sliced through the monsters arm, and sent him back. He fell through the bone wall behind him, out of sight.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken squeaked, jumping to his feet, and out the broken wall after his lord, "Sesshoumaru-sama please wait for me!"

Inuyasha plummeted Tetsusaiga into the ground and chuckled to himself. "Thanks Oyaji.. You've left me quite a heirloom."

"Just like Inuyasha- sama!"

Meoga leaped out of the bones and back onto Inuyasha's shoulder, cheering loudly and proud, "I have always believed in you, Inuyasha-sama!"

Inuyasha raised his hand to slap the bug away but Meoga raised his hands in horror, "Wait a second! Look, look!"

We turned to look at a screeching bone bird landed in front of us.

"I was just trying to secure our way back! I wasn't running away. You finally trust me, eh?"

Inuyasha smiled.. it was almost creepy, "Then you really weren't running away?"

Meoga hesitated, "If you ask me with your face so trusting.." he fell to bow, "Forgive me! I thought you could never win against Sesshoumaru-sama, even by luck, so I ran away! I'm ashamed of myself for underestimating you, again, Inuyasha-sama and lying to you."

"Meoga!" Inuyasha picked up the yokai bug in his fingers, then squished him flat with an evil smirk.

"Well, anyways.. everything worked out.." the bug squeaked.

"Ehh, but how was I able to pull out the Tetsusaiga?" I asked.

"Hm.. well.. It's in my opinion that because of the history and past Inuyasha and yourself share you were able to," Meoga replied, "Originally, Tetsusaiga was belongs to Inuyasha-sama's father. It was his father's demon blade created for protecting his mother, who was a human. The sword that cannot be used without the heart which loves and is willing to protect humans.. I think that is the true identity of Tetsusaiga."

"But Meoga, I'm not human anymore.." I muttered.

"Ahh but you are! Though you are hanyo on the outside, and you have these demonic urges, on the inside you are still but a human girl, with human feelings, and emotions. The fact that you lived as one for your entire childhood, changes the rules a bit."

"I see.."

"And because at that time when Inuyasha said he would protect you, the sword reacted. However not having any mercy for humans, that's why Sesshoumaru-sama couldn't use the Tetsusaiga."

I giggled and pulled on the silent hanyo's ears beside me, "And here you thought being half-yokai was a weakness!"


	9. A Devastating Choice

A/N: I dunno about this chapter, I really don't know if I like it or not. I like it more than the older version in "protecting me" but i'm still not suree.. anyways dates: sept 18th yeah so she's only been in the fedual era for likeee 6 days :] SO MUCH STUFF HAPPENS IN 6 DAYS! is it even possible for all that to happen in 6 days? cause i have nooo ideaaa.. oh well.

* * *

**You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.**

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I Do Not Own Inuyasha

* * *

9. A Devastating Choice

I opened the door to the shrine and dropped my bag in the hall. I was following my vow. I had asked Kaede if I could go home, she agreed, Inuyasha however hadn't followed me back to the village so he had, no say in my return. I wondered what he would do when he found out.. oh well.

"Mom.. I'm back.." I called.

Loud thumping noises sounded through the building as my voice echoed throughout the old house, and the clatter of scrapping chairs and pots clattering into the sink, told me where the family was.

Seconds later, my mother followed by Kagome, Souta, and Jii-chan came running down the hall and stopped a few feet from me. They stared at me with shocked expressions. Seconds ticked by and nobody said anything. I didn't understand what their problem was.. I was here.. alive..

My mother shrill scream pierced the silence, and she grabbed onto my shoulders shaking me slightly, "Oh my! What happened to you! What happened to my Kaori! Who did this to you! Tell me right now!"

"Um.. What?" I was bewildered by her panics. What was she talking about? Who did what to me?

"Your hair! Your ears, _tail_!" she shouted. My ears pinned themselves to the back of my head in pain, and she yelped in surprise. I had forgotten about my change. Of course they'd be freaked out. This wasn't normal.. at least not in this era it wasn't.

I felt someone grasp into my tail and I blushed. I looked behind me to see Souta tugging on it slightly. "Is it real?" he asked, "It's so soft."

My mother pulled at my ears, "Why won't they come off! You shouldn't have dog ears!"

Kagome held my hair in her hands. "Did you dye it! Where did you, what did you use! I love this colour! It feels better then before you dyed it!"

I pulled away from them and jumped to the other side of the hall, "Stop it!"

Jii-chan slapped a piece of paper between my eyes. Muttering something about yokai's and exorcisms. I pulled it off and examined it. It was one of those fake ofuda he carried around. I rolled my eyes, ripped it up, and walked away, leaving them gawking at my new form.

"Now you hold it right there young lady!" my mother snapped. My body went rigged and I slowly turned around, nervous about the outcome, she was even scarier then Sesshoumaru at times! She grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the bathroom, "First you're going to have a bath! After that I want answers, and good ones at that!"

She pushed me inside the washroom, and threw in my bathroom bag after me. I sighed, and ran the water.. She was only mean to me.

I came out about an hour later. I was clean, refreshed, and smelling wonderful. With my shiny blue hair tied into pig-tails, and my black silky tail with the snowy white tip brushed for the first time, I ran down the stairs and into the living room, where my confused family awaited me.

I sat down on the couch and wondered where to begin. Should I start at the beginning.. or with my transformation? They each stared at me, blinking, waiting for me to speak. I didn't know how they recognized me. I looked so different.. sounded different.. I had changed but still they knew who I was.. even though Inuyasha hadn't.

I started at the beginning. From when the hair yokai smashed my window, freeing me from my cell, until I walked back in today. I explained every scene in full detail, but left out some important facts like when I was proposed to, and almost killed.

It took me an hour to get everything out, but when I finished, I felt a lot better. I had been lying, avoiding, and abandoning them for about a week, they did deserve to know the truth.

My mother sat across from me, staring blankly at the cat. She was thinking. Coming up with a verdict.. my punishment. I fidgeted as Kagome silently brushed my hair and tail again, while we waited for my mother to speak.

Jii-chan looked as though he might explode any second, having been saddened about the truth of his ofuda, I had to explain that they didn't work, and angry because I hadn't shared my knowledge of spiritual powers with him sooner.

Souta was the only one amazed by it. He had kept bombarding me with questions since I had started talking about the Feudal era, and more so when Inuyasha came into the story.

My mother sighed, and everyone turned our heads toward her. The house was quiet, and we each barely breathed as we waited for my doom.

"I have thought about this.." she started, taking a sip from her tea, "and I think it would be okay if you continue to go-"

"YAY!" I shouted, jumping to my feet. The cat hissed and bolted from the room. My mother looked at me sternly and I sat back down, my face hot.

"It would be okay if you continue to go, but.." she said. Uh oh.. there's a 'but'. Buts were never good. "but I want you to visit home at least a few days a month and during those days I want to to continue with your studies.. at least until I can get you home schooled."

"Is that it! Okay I agree!" I jumped to my feet again and ran toward the door.

"Wait!" my mother called, stopping me dead in my tracks. I turned around to face her.

"Yes..?"

"I would also like a word with this friend of yours.. Inuyasha," she said.

"But why!" I whined. Why did she want to talk to him? I don't think hes done anything wrong, and if he did it's not really any of her business for she doesn't know him..

"I'm sure you think he's fine, but from what I just heard he has quite a violent personality."

"He's.. well okay he is but not at me!" I protested.

"Kaori."

"Ugh, fine."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

I sat in front of the fan, humming into it. "Ah-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h"

"Kaori.. What are you doing?" I looked up to see Kagome standing over me, wearing our school uniform, "We're supposed to be leaving for school."

"Are we?" I questioned, switching off the fan. Our school uniform was a dark blue plaid skirt, a black jacket, black knee-high socks, black mary-janes, and a dark blue and silver tie.

"Yes, we are. Honestly, you can really be out of it sometimes," she sighed making her way toward the front door, "I'll meet you outside."

I groaned in protest and dragged my feet along the way to my room. I didn't want to go to school, when there was a whole different world just down the well. But I had made a deal with my mother.. and unless I never wanted to go back to the feudal era, I might as well go.. it's not like I'll get to go anyways.. Inuyasha will be deemed too dangerous by my mother and my life will be over! I was starting to really regret coming back.

I quickly threw on my uniform messily, tied a black bandanna over my ears, and wrapped my jacket around my waist to hide my tail. I frowned into the mirror. My tail was still showing, the bandanna was unconformable, and muffled out sound. I had to curl my tail, until it was covered, which felt awkward.

I left my hair out, and opened the window. It had been repaired and now was a lot easier to open. I spotted Kagome wandering by the Goshinboku with Souta, nobody else was outside.

I slung my backpack now packed with school books and supplies, and lept from the window landing beside my two siblings. Kagome and Souta yelped in surprise.

"Cool! Did you jump from your window?" Souta exclaimed as we walked down the stone steps. I nodded and he stared at me, amazed. As we continued down the stairs my mind wandered back to the day Kikyo's grave had been violated, running down them to get caught up with Inuyasha.. running after him.. the tree..

My face grew hot and I shook my head. What was I doing, thinking about such useless things! How many days has it been? At least three, I wasn't sure anymore, Inuyasha forgot, or at least he pretended to. He was in love with Kikyo and.. well I wasn't sure what happened after he had run off after her but.. well.. she didn't seem to be around anymore. I didn't know what I had been expecting. I knew this all along.. but.. as we reached the bottom and turned down the street, my heart ached at the thought of them two together again..

How foolish of me.. I thought.. I should just forget about his affections and whatnot, it probably wasn't me who he had been seeing anyways.. it was her.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

I walked home half asleep. One day at school had burnt all the energy I had from a nights sleep, faster then a whole week in the feudal era. With the tests, piles of homework, exams, and my friends breathing down my neck everywhere I went because of my 'dyed' hair colour, I didn't think I'd ever have time to myself, let alone making it back to Kaede's house by dinner.

"Come on, Kaori! Who is he!" Yuka urged walked directly behind me.

"Yeah, Kaori who is it!" Eri agreed coming up on my other side.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about!" I snapped quickening my pace.

"Oh come on, Kaori!" Yuka sighed, running after me, "We know you wouldn't do something this drastic like dye your hair blue, get coloured contacts and whatnot, unless you've got a boyfriend, who urged you into doing something like this... Or, of course, you've gone mental!"

"Well then I've gone mental! You guys know I wouldn't let someone guy pressure me into doing something! Who do you take me for!" I shouted turning on them. Another of my friends, Ayumi, placed herself beside me and looked back at Yuka and Eri.

"Let it go guys," she said. "We do know Kaori better then this. Maybe she just wanted a change?"

"Yeah! Maybe I just wanted to try something new for a while!" I agreed, resuming my quick paced walk home. I hoped Kagome would come and save me but I knew she was busy with her extra-curricular actives and she wouldn't be home till later.

"Okay fine! I can understand that but, then there's the fact that you totally turned down Hojo-kun today!" Yuka said running up beside me. I stopped in mid-step, and looked at her in disgust.

"I always reject Hojo though," I replied, walking backwards to face them.

"Yes, but why Kaori-chan?" Eri asked. "It was Kagome-chan's birthday present to you, she thought you really liked him and, he's the most desirable guy, and you're the most desirable gir-"

"I am not!" I shouted, interrupting her. My face burned in embarrassment. What she said didn't make sense. I wasn't that great.

"You are too!" she replied, "You're pretty-"

"But, I'm clumsy and dense and I do stupid, reckless things and-"

"Those are all redeeming qualities," Yuka said, interrupting me, "Well the clumsiness is anyway, and the denseness makes you cuter, and the recklessness makes you fun."

"More like it makes me a burden.." I muttered. Inuyasha's image flashed in my mind.

"Just face it. You're the most popular, and desirable girl in the school, and you're supposed to go out with Hojo-kun because that's the way things are supposed to be!" Eri snapped.

"But Hojo is so blah!" I whined, "I don't date people with blah personalities. So what ever this 'supposed to be thing', you have going, will never be, end of story, good-nigh-"

I bumped into something. Another person by the feel of it. I turned my head to apologize, but the scene before me winded me. Inuyasha was standing behind me, glaring at me murderously.

"Damn you.. Who ever said you could go home whenever you feel like it?" he growled. He was wearing something from my time. He wore lose faded black jeans, and a dark red collared vest, unbuttoned, and a slightly over sized grey plaid collars shirt with only two buttons done up, over a white t-shirt. A dark red bandanna tied his hair back and covered his ears, and worn in sneakers were on his feet.

Everything was a size to big, for they were my 'fathers', but they did look good on him..

"Um.. Why are you wearing my dad's clothes?" I asked, in a hushed voice.

"I don't know the woman living at the shrine gave them to me.. She said it wouldn't make me stand out so much.. Why?" he answered, his anger suddenly fading away. It was sad as to how easily distracted he was.

"Oh no reason.. But why the hell are you here!" I shouted. He looked taken back at my sudden anger, but bounced back almost immediately.

"To bring you back of course stupid! You can't just go home when ever you want!" he shouted.

"I told Kaede where I was going and she was okay with that!"

"Yeah, well you didn't ask me!"

"You wouldn't have let me!"

"Exactly! So why are you here?"

We stood growling at each other for a good few minutes, until Yuka's voice broke through the silence. "Who is he?"

I looked around. The both of us drawing a crowd. A silver long haired boy with anger management problems, and a girl with aqua coloured shin length hair, who wore her school uniform messily as most troublemakers did, would obviously attract a crowd. I spotted a group of girls from my school a few feet away, ogling the silver haired hanyo.

I growled at them and grabbed onto his sleeve and ran from the crowd. Yuka was about to bombard me with questions, and the fan girls Inuyasha was already attracting were getting on my nerves. I'd clear the situation with Yuka, Eri and Ayumi later but right now I needed to find a place where there's be no witnesses, when I kill Inuyasha.

But when it started to rain. My anger disappeared along with the sun. The dark ominous clouds loomed over head, and the harsh winds whipped my hair in every direction and whispered fears into my ears. Thunder Storm. There wasn't a sign of the bright sunny day which had been my vacation a few moments ago.

I felt a tug on my arm, and I was snapped further from my anger. Inuyasha had pulled me toward a shop and was now staring into the window. It was the McDonalds were Yuka worked after school. I didn't want to be seen with this guy in a place where my friends might be. It would be too 'suspicious'.

But the thunder rolling over head and my stomach groaning in protest changed my mind.

"Okay lets go," I said pulling him though the door. He resisted and pulled his arm from my grasp.

"What the hell are you talking about, I don't wanna go in there!" he snapped.

I sighed and stared at him. "Oh come on! You were just staring into the window with eyes full of greed and you were practically drooling. You're hungry and so am I so shut up and lets go!"

He growled in response but followed me in anyway. He seemed to deflate once we got in and the smell of the food hit our noses. It did smell good. I told him to find a place to sit while I ordered the food. It wasn't until I had gotten to the counter that I realized I had no idea what he liked.. or what we could even eat.

I wanted to go back and ask but then I'd lose my place and have to wait in the line again. The cashier scowled and stared at me disapprovingly as she looked over my appearance. She looked to be about 20 and hating her job. I smirked and just ordered things that I knew Souta would like. If Inuyasha didn't like it then Souta would probably eat it.. or maybe the cat would.

The girl handed me the food, her voice full of acid and watched me sit down at the table where Inuyasha sat anxiously. Her expression changed to surprise, then she glared at me. I stuck my tongue out at her and pushed the burgers toward Inuyasha.

"What the hell is this!" he asked looking over the burger.

I sighed and popped a fry into my mouth, "It's the only thing they have. If you don't like it I'll make something when we get home."

He growled but ate it anyway.

"So," I said, casually, "How are you?"

He swallowed a bite and stared at me suspiciously, "Good..?"

I popped another fry into my mouth, and stared out the window, "That's good."

"Tch, Kaori what's with the small-talk?"

"We're in a public place!" I hissed under my breath, "I don't wanna be seen as more of a freak that I already look by talking about yokai and all that!"

He hesitated for a moment, his face almost revealing some hurt feelings.

I sighed, "I'm sorry, I have nothing against being hanyo or.. there, but things are different here, you have to be careful.. People are more picky about what fits in and what doesn't, it's not just yokai, hanyo, and human, anymore.."

"That's stupid!"

"Well yeah!" I agreed, running my fingers through my hair, "I mean, if you're too tall, you're a freak, if you're too short, you're a freak, if you have the wrong hair colour, of a different race, religion, or you wear glasses, you're a freak. Everything makes you abnormal here, it's amazing how anyone can even think they fit in with anybody."

He was silent.

I looked at him. His wasn't looking at me, he watched in a daze as the cars and trucks drove by out the window.

"What are you thinking about..?"

"Kik-" he stopped himself, before he could say any more. My heart lurched and I stared at my food.

"Is that why you wanna become yokai?" I asked, "So you don't have to think about that anymore?"

Silence.

"W-well? Do you?"

Nothing.

"Cause if you forget about her, you'll end up forgetting about me."

"Baka!" he snapped, " How could I forget you? You with your irritating voice and actions, always getting in my way all the time. You who falls in love with gross flea bitten wolves and can't even control her own instincts, can't even decide whether she's human or not! Keh! No matter how much I would wanna forget about you I couldn't!"

I was frozen.. What was he saying? I felt my heart shatter.. so he really did hate me as a hanyo.. Me being a hanyo was a bother to everyone.. I knew it.. I was being cast as a troublesome creature, maybe a wannabe, something that shouldn't be encouraged anymore that I already had..

Sesshoumaru had been right. Inuyasha had wanted me to stay weak, fragile.. as a pathetic human girl. I was just another freak to him.. something that he didn't want to bother with.. but he was forced to bother with me for I was Kikyo's little sister.. and now that she was alive again.. there was no way he could just dump me somewhere.

He'd never let me be a hanyo. He would continue to force me back into a human state until my confidence was crushed and I stopped resisting. The.. only way for me to be myself.. was if I left.

I stood up, the force of my movement causing the chair to go flying back onto the floor, "Fine!" I hissed, "If I'm such a bother to you, then I'll leave!"

I pulled the Shikon Shards from my pocket, slamming them onto the table, "Here! Become yokai or whatever, I don't care anymore!"

I raced from the store, ignoring the stares I was getting. They didn't matter. He didn't matter either! Just thinking I was only a burden..

"Kaori!" Inuyasha appeared in front of me, holding me back, "What he hell is your problem! I didn't mean it that way, baka!"

"So? No matter what I do! No matter how much I tried and changed! It still is never enough to please you! It's never good enough! I'm always a stupid human to you, and no matter now much more I'll try I'll still always be like that to you and to everyone else!" I shouted, tears escaping, and running down my face.

"So you know what! I'm sick of trying and I'm sick of you!" I shouted, "I'm leaving. Don't get in my way and don't come looking for me!"

I pushed past him and ran home, back to the shine. I snatched all of my things, my eyes spilling with tears, and leaped down the well. I didn't know if Inuyasha was following me as I dashed off into the forest, but I didn't look back. This was the only way for me to be a real hanyo. This was the only way that I can learn to protect myself and get the happiness I deserve..


	10. The New Moon

A/N: Kay so I changed the amount of time in this chapter so if you see that it says "months" anywhere then just u know, tell me so i can fix it. But yah I kind of half hate half like this chapter :] date: september 29th

* * *

**You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.**

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I Do Not Own Inuyasha

* * *

10. The New Moon

I stared blankly at the yokai before me. It was large, quick, agile but also just another over sized bug. A spider yokai.. boring things they were.. they didn't have much to offer and they didn't put up much of a fight either. And yet.. here I was, picking a fight with something that found me uninteresting.

Nothing picked a fight with me anymore.. I always beat them to it. It was the only thing that kept me entertained.. although the joy of destroying something as weak as this had faded many days ago.

I didn't mind. I didn't care. I wasn't happy with my life before.. at least now I could handle this. My instincts now controlled my every move.. my every thought and emotion. I ate when hungry. Slept when tired. I killed when angry, and aggressive. I was free to do what I want.. when I want. Nobody to answer to. Nobody to ask for permission..

The yokai noticed me, and I lunged into an attack, killing the insect before it had realized I had stepped forward. Boring. There was no challenge.. no real fight. Just endless brutal murderers of stupid bug demons.

It had been about two weeks since that day. Two weeks of solitude.. two weeks of wondering..two weeks of painful lingering feelings. An invisible hole in my chest had appeared on the day I left, and it had me feeling pained and empty..

I found a hot spring, changed into my bathing suit and glided into the water. This is the life I had chosen. This was what I had given up everything else for.. but then.. why wasn't I happy?

"Kaori-sama! Kaori-sama!"

I slowly turned my head toward the voice coming from the rock beside me.

"Meoga-Jiji..." My voice sounded dull and lifeless even to me. I had been trying to keep him from noticing how much I was hurting for I knew he still went to see Inuy.. _him_. I didn't want to drag Meoga into my problems either. I for one value our friendship.

"Good evening, Kaori-sama," Meoga replied, sitting cross-legged on the rock. I washed my hair as I waited for him to speak, "Kaori-sama...I know that this doesn't concern me but.. I think you should go back."

I lifted my head from the water, and stared at him blankly. I wasn't quite sure what he meant.. most of the time I had been unaware that we were having a conversation until he said something strange like this and I wondered if that was one of those times.

"Go back where..?" I mumbled, confused.

"Go back home to Inuyasha-sa-"

I glowered at him, the heat almost reaching my face. He knew how I felt about this.. He was well aware that this topic was forbidden.

"I'm not going back," I said in a low monotone. I hadn't been fooling him, he had seen my pain, "What would I be proving if I did?"

"What are you proving now, not going back!"

His assertiveness shocked me. This was the cowardly flea that ran from everything and everyone dangerous wasn't it?

"It's sad to watch, Kaori-sama. You don't do anything."

"What! Would you like me to go attack villages and go on rampant and shout from the top of my lungs how stupid Inuyasha is!" I grimaced once the sting of the name hit. I had been careful not to speak or think that name.. but it was hard.

"No!" he replied, "But your just not happy anymore."

"I'm am happy, see, hahahaha."

"Well haven't you thought about how this affected Inuyash-"

I growled and got out of the hot spring quickly throwing my kimono over my wet bathing suit, "You know...one thing I've found out about being a hanyo is that, no one understands what you're going for anymore.."

He didn't understand. I couldn't go back. I've done the worst thing someone could do. I've already hurt everyone that I had cared for.. I didn't have to courage to face them anymore.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

"Ugh.. Why did we have to travel this.. way..?" Shippo groaned leaning over the side of the boat.

"Shut up!" Inuyasha snapped, "Don't you think it's strange for a yokai to be getting sea-sick!"

"Oh yeah well.. Don't you think it's strange for Kaori to leave on the same day that you went to get he-"

Inuyasha punched Shippo on the head and jumped to the front of the boat, his back to them. Kaede sighed and gazed at the depressed hanyo, "I think ye went a bit to far with that one, Shippo.."

"Sorry, Inuyasha," Shippo said timidly, but Inuyasha didn't answer. Shippo groaned and leaned father off the boat, his stomach turning with every wave.

Kaede had forced Inuyasha to take her with her, but only for the trip. She had claimed that she needed to go to a neighbouring village for someone had called for her to save her sickly daughter. This story was true but it wasn't the reason why she had wanted to join them. She knew her sister well and she knew the places she would go. Kaede wouldn't try and bring her sister back if they found her.. but she at least wanted to talk, so she could understand the reason why she had left.

Inuyasha hadn't told them the situation, so Meoga had informed them. But there was only so much a bystander could tell, so most of the story had been left out.

But she did know, even though that he wouldn't admit it, Inuyasha was depressed for the young girl had left because of him. They didn't know what he had done, but they knew by Inuyasha's mood that it had hurt Kaori very much.

"Kaede-sama! Shippo!" Meoga landed silently on the miko's shoulder gasping for air.

"What is it Meoga?" Shippo asked groggily lifting his head slightly. Meoga looked at the son of his lord and then back to the two curious people. Inuyasha would be upset if he heard that Meoga knew where Kaori resided, and would demand to let him know.. But.. the young girl wasn't ready for reconciliation.

But it was lucky for him that someone had mentioned Kaori before he came, for Inuyasha was staring up at the sky unseeing and deaf, like he usually did when the girl was talked about.

"All I will say is that she is close by.. I would tell you more if it wasn't for Inuyasha-sama being so close.. in case he might hear."

A few moments later Kaede was dropped off at the village, with a promise that they'd come to get her tomorrow. Kaede sighed as she watched them jump back onto the boat. She missed her sister.. and she knew everyone else did as well.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S GONE!"

"I MEANT WHAT I SAID, FLEA BAG!"

"Excuse me.. that's quite offensive to us fleas.."

"SHUT UP MEOGA-JIIJI!"

"I can't believe I still hang around with you people!"

"Don't worry Meoga.. I think he means he's sorry."

"NO I DON'T!"

Inuyasha, and Koga stood on the dirt road growling at each other. Koga had just recently found out that Kaori had disappeared, and obviously he was extremely irritated, "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU LET HER LEAVE! AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN GO LOOKING FOR HER!"

"I THOUGHT SHE'S GO RUNNING OFF TO YOU!" Inuyasha shouted, "WHICH IS OBVIOUS THAT SHE DIDN'T! SO WHY DON'T YOU GO LOOK FOR HER AND ASK HER WHY THE HELL SHE LEFT!"

Koga scowled at the man who had let his girl get away, then ran off into the forest. He would find her first, he vowed. He'd find her and get her back, she was hurting he knew it and he'd be the one to comfort her.

Inuyasha watched him go, and stared at his hands in disgust. He hadn't been looking for her.. He hadn't tried to make her change her mind.. he had just let her go. He had been taking her for granted, thinking that no matter what she'd suck it up and continue like nothing was wrong like she usually did. He'd never thought he'd push her until she'd break.

He had never meant to make her cry every time she did. But he still had always yelled at her, used words that he knew would hurt her the most. He didn't know why he did it.. but he did, and now she was gone because of it.

A shrill scream shattered the silence and Inuyasha looked up. A girl was running from a yokai up the road. His heart lurched at the similarities to this human girl to the human Kaori.

This girl had dark brown hair.. tied back into a pony-tail and her eyes were wide and scared. She looked like Kaori from afar.. but it wasn't her. The eyes weren't green and Kaori wasn't human anymore. The girl tripped and the yokai rose to attack her.. but then it froze. It looked up toward Inuyasha, then disappeared into the surrounding trees.

"Are you alright?" Shippo shouted, running toward the girl.

"Yes.." she gasped, picking herself off the ground. She stared at Shippo for a moment and her eyes narrowed, "You're a yokai," she hissed. Shippo shrunk back frightened by her cold gaze.

"Don't worry.. we won't do any harm," Meoga said from Inuyasha shoulder. The girl stared at Inuyasha for a second, then growled and got to her feet.

"I hate things like yokai!" she snapped. She was defiantly not Kaori. The girl went to leave but hesitated and clenched her hands together, "But.. You did scare that spider-head away.. and master says I have to find someone to.." she glanced over her shoulder, scowling, "I need someone to help rid my home from yokai."

"Well forget about it!" Inuyasha shouted.

"Inuyasha-sama!" Meoga whispered furiously into his ear. "I know you don't want to be around civilization on this particular night but why don't you just kill the yokai before sundown and then you'll have a safe place to rest while your hu-"

"Fine!" Inuyasha snapped, turning back around. "But don't say another word about that!"

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

"Oshou-sama!" The girl called. They had reached a large shrine that was hidden from the world by large Sakura trees, "I've found some people to help rid the shrine from the spider-heads!"

A small, bald, old man walked up to them, wearing dark blue priest robes. "Well done Nazuna.. This man can help the girl I had found wandering the forest."

"You've found someone already?" The girl asked, slightly disappointed.

"Yes, I have. This girl had offered to help, but it seems as though she's having some kind of internal struggle. She'll stay here until she'd better," the monk said.

Suddenly the sweet scent of sakura, roses, honey, strawberries, and the ocean floated across the shrine. Inuyasha looked behind the old man and into he grounds of the shrine, and suppressed a gasp.

A girl walked across the grounds staring straight ahead, holding a wooden bucket in her hands full of crystal clear water. The wind blew her silky neon blue locks out behind her. And her two onyx dog ears pointed back from the cold rushing air. Her long black fluffy tail with a snowy tip fell limply behind her.

"Kaori!" Shippo shouted, jumping off Inuyasha's shoulder to run toward the girl. She stopped, and slowly turned her gaze on the boy. Shippo came to a halt at her feet and stared up at her rather confused. "Kaori?"

She looked up at Inuyasha, and then he realized why Shippo had been so confused. Her once wide sparkling aquamarine eyes, had become clouded, dull, full of sadness and the loneliness of a month's solitude. Her face was expressionless and cold, as she gazed toward him. She stared at him for a moment, blinked, then turned her head forward and resumed her pace.

"Kaori?" Shippo squeaked, watching her go.

"Don't take it to heart Shippo," Meoga said, jumping down from Inuyasha's shoulder, "She hasn't been herself since she's left.."

Inuyasha looked up at the emotionless shell of what used to be the care-free girl from his past.

"Kaori.."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

I closed the door tightly behind me, and let out a silent scream. Why was he here! Now! Today! I could careless if he came here some other day! But why did it have to be today! I sat on the wooden floor and brought my knees to my chest. I didn't feel broken anymore.. as soon I had seen him.. the hole in my heart had disappeared.. It hadn't healed.. it was like it had never been there.

But.. I couldn't show it. I couldn't let them know I was happy to see him again. What would I be proving if I did?

_"What are you proving now, not going back!"_

Meoga just didn't understand. If I went back now.. then all that would have been for nothing. Those weeks of solitude and pain would have meant nothing.. If I went back.. then _he_ wouldn't understand.. and things would go back to the way they were before. I had to get my point across first.. It hadn't been long enough..

"Nazuna.. Could you please go prepare dinner for our guests," The old monk's voice drifted through the wooden doors.

"But.. okay.." The girl's footsteps faded away. She was going to the kitchens.. on the opposite side of the shrine. I looked at the bucket of water at my feet. That was were I was headed but in my hurry to run away I had gone into my room. I had to go to the kitchens.. but.. I didn't want to go back out there.. I was too much of a coward.

I gazed across my room. The window! I could just run across the rooftop and avoid them altogether!It's strange as to how I could say that so easily, like it was nothing to run across slanted roofs.. if I had been human then doing that would be out of the question...But of course I wasn't human anymore.

I slowly opened the window and leaped to the roof. The icy wind rushed past, sending shivers down my spine. My hair whirled around my body violently as the wind tried to force me to the ground. When had it gotten so cold? I don't remember it being this cold earlier.

I turned my gaze to the kitchen roof, then to the sacred grounds below. Meoga was down there. He must have lead them here. I took a running start and leaped down to them. I didn't stop. I held out my hand, "Meoga.." I said monotonously. Meoga was in my hand as soon as my feet touched the stone and I jumped up onto the kitchen roofs. It all had happened in half a second.

I leaped down through the kitchen door and placed the bucket off ice cold water on the floor by the fire place. The girl Nazuna looked at the water then back over into the black caldron full of chopped vegetables.

"Thank you, Kaori," she said. I could hear her dislike for me in the tone of her voice but thought nothing of it. It didn't matter whether she liked me or not. She was a emotional human that I didn't know and right now I didn't want to know.

I slowly reopened the sliding doors and peeked outside. Empty. I sighed in relief and stumbled out to the sacred grounds. I lifted my hand to look at Meoga, and growled. He was trembling in fear.. he knew he'd done something terribly wrong.

"Why.. H-hello Kaori-sama..?" he stuttered. I closed my hand into a fist and he gasped.

"Why is he here!" I hissed. Meoga swallowed nervously and tiny beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"I.. I didn't lead him here, Kaori-sama.. That human girl did.. He came on his own.. I believe your scent was on her clothes.. you were the one to wash them weren't you?"

"Yes but that doesn't matter. I'm being used as a slave right now but at least I have somewhere to stay, but now since he's here I can't relax! Why didn't you lead him in another direction!" I growled.

"He wouldn't listen to me-!"

"Oh don't give me that! You know you could have said I was on the other side of the world and he'd probably go there!" I snapped. I dropped him to the floor and walked away, upset with his lack of consideration toward my feelings.

"But.. Kaori-sama," Meoga squeaked. "It seems since Inuyasha-sama's arrival you've been expression your emotions. Which means you are becoming more like yourself again. If he hadn't arrived then you would still be-"

"Shut up Meoga.. You may be wise but you don't understand me."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

I slowly walked down the dark wooden corridor. The sun would disappear from the sky in another few minutes, but the trees that surrounded the shrine made the grounds darker then it was supposed to be. The spider heads were lurking somewhere out there. Watching and waiting until my barrier would weaken so they could attack.

But my barrier would never weaken. There was no reason for it to. I was safe.. protected inside this emotionless shell. The large stone walls absorbed the words from other people and didn't let the meanings effect me. I would be safe.. we would be safe.. until something came to knock down those walls. And something had come to knock down these walls.. but I wouldn't let him in.

"Kaori.."

The voice startled me, and I froze. How long had he been following me? I slowly turned around and forced my gaze upon him. He was miserable.. his eyes told me so. He was suffering.. tormented by my very existence.. or was it because I was here?

I started to feel unconformable and guilty under his intense gaze. I was wrenched.. I had caused pain to the very person I had sworn not to. Why must I always go back on my promises? Why must I have to torture other people until I'm satisfied with their pain? Why must I be so selfish..?

We stood in silence.

"Dinner should be ready soon.." I said turning to walk away.

"Dinner's over," he replied. I stopped walking and stared at my feet. Of course I knew it was over.. I was just hoping he didn't know that. But then that was stupid wasn't it? He was the person who had dinner.. I had missed it because of him. Such a stupid thing to say.. I was supposed to be broken.. unemotional, cold, and graceful. But my fumble had proven I wasn't as broken anymore as I had hoped.

I turned back around to face him. I had no other excuse to get away. His ignorance had been my last hope.. but he remembered things better then I did.

"Right.." I said, staring at the grain in the wood behind him, "I.. forgot."

"No you didn't. You just wanted an excuse to get away," he replied.

My cheeks burned. Why was it so easy for him to see through my lies? Why did he have to know me so well that he can figure out everything I mean and want to say and I can't even read his emotions? Why was his abilities and powers always overpowering mine? Why couldn't I win just once..?

"W.. Why are you here?" I asked, trying to push myself back into the emotionless shell.

"Why are _you_ here?" he answered.

"That's none of your business," I replied turning to walk away again. But something else made me freeze in my place. A few feet away.. crawling toward me.. spiders.. larger then the yokai I had killed earlier.. and with human heads..

My mouth went dry and my body turned to ice. They shouldn't be inside.. my barrier was still up.. I could feel it around the shrine. So then.. why were they inside? The only way for them to get inside was if.. they had been inside since the very beginning.

The monk was someone suspicious.. same with the human girl.. maybe this had been a trap. But if it was.. then why didn't he have realized it sooner? I was to stupid to realize anything.. I was too trusting.. but he was suspicious of everything and everyone so.. how come he didn't know!

"Shit! Kaori!" he pulled me behind him and pulled out Tetsusaiga. It didn't transform. "Damn it!"

Suddenly my feet remembered how to move. I jumped over the struggling hanyo, pulling out my own two katanas in the process. I crossed them until they made an X and blocked the attacks from the gigantic spiders. I wasn't sure how to fight these things. I didn't need to fight them.. not now. Something had changed Inuyasha that made the Tetsusiaga untransformable.. his scent also was somehow different.. more human then usual. I couldn't fight the spiders recklessly like I would have if it were any other time.. I.. I had to protect Inuyasha.

"Kaori-sama!" Meoga shouted from my shoulder.

"What the hell do you want! Can't you see I'm busy!" I snapped, jumping back as I threw back more spiders.

"We must get out of here!" Meoga cried.

"Don't you think I already know that!" I whipped around and grabbed Inuyasha's wrist. I ran down the hall pulling them along with me until I caught scent of Shippo in one of the rooms. I slammed open the doors and locked it behind me, creating a tiny barrier on the inside. Nazuna was also in the room, looking terrified in the far right corner.

I fell to my knees and stared at the ground, "There.." I panted, "That should be good enough for now.. although I'm not sure how.. long I can hold up two..barriers.. at the.. same time."

"Damn it.." Inuyasha hissed from the shadows behind me. I glanced up, and gasped at the change. He.. was human. No silver hair.. no dog ears.. no claws, fangs.. golden eyes.. All were gone. Replacing them was raven hair.. beautiful silver eyes.. and human ears..

"What are you staring at!" he snapped. I realized I had been gaping. I closed my mouth and pushed my back against the wall on the far side, so I wouldn't have to be close to him. What was wrong with him? Did he get a disease? Was he sick? WHAT the hell was going on!

"Kaori!" Shippo shouted jumping into my lap, "I've missed you soooooooo much! Why did you leave us!"

I patted his head, and turned my gaze to him, "Not now. I'll tell you later but right now we have a bigger problem on our hands."

"What is it.." he turned around and gasped, "Inuyasha! What happened to you? You're human!"

"Yeah, tell me something I don't know.." he muttered, glaring down at the kitsune.

"For Inuyasha-sama.. and other hanyo such as Kaori-sama," Meoga started leaping onto Inuyasha's shoulder. "There is a short period in which they lose the magical powers flowing through their blood in their bodies. Because that is when they are most vulnerable...hanyo's will never reveal that time to others. The time for Inuyasha is tonight.. on the first day of the month when the moon doesn't appear.. Kaori this will happen to you to, when that time will be revealed we don't know."

"Wait!" I gasped, " you mean I have to become human all over again? Eww.."

"Now's not the time to be pouting in the corner, stupid!" Inuyasha shouted, as I has lowered my gaze to the floor as I thought this over.

"Oh so what time is it?" I snapped, "Time for us to wait to die! Time to have a party! What! What time is it Inuyasha because I don't know! I don't even know why I stayed here after seeing you here! I should have just left!"

Pain and betrayal flashed over his face. Damn it! I'd done it again.. I'd taken out my anger on someone who didn't deserve it.. I opened my mouth to apologize but the sound of splintering wood stopped me.

The small room fell to pieces, and my small barrier was broken. Spider-heads crept towards us from all directions. Thick sticky webs fell from the trees above wrapping themselves around us. I kicked the webs and spiders away running across the room toward the human Inuyasha. Something cut into my flesh.

Something burned.. something warm and thick started to soak through my clothes as a evil yet familiar voice crackled in my ear.

"Stupid hanyo," it hissed, "So trusting. So easily manipulated. You didn't realize when you came that this temple was already infested with my brothers.. I let you make a barrier so you would think you were doing something right.. and proper. But you just helped along with the plan. To hold half the spider-heads inside to wait until the ones carrying the Shikon Shard to come.. then when they came.. I'd kill you off to break that barrier and let the full force of the spider-heads kill the travellers. But unfortunately it turned out you knew these travellers.. which made my job a bit harder. But since your friend here had lost his powers, things have turned to my advantage. Now that your barrier has been broken more of us shall appear shortly."

It was the monk's voice. That old.. suspicious monk. But he was right.. I was too trusting.. I was too stupid to have realized that I had been being tricked.. That.. that was why I would never make it on my own.. It was a surprise to me that I had managed to live on my own for two weeks.. but now it was all over..

The sharp thing pulled away from my body and I stumbled forward. It wasn't all over.. I had a injury like this when I was human and I lived.. I wouldn't die.. but the spiders would.. I'd win against these pathetic yokai.. then.. then maybe go back. I couldn't live on my own. Not.. anymore.

"Kaor-!" Inuyasha shouted. I looked up to see the spider-head monk, holding the black haired Inuyasha against the wall by his neck. The monks limbs and body had become a thick spider-web like thing. And we were all inside it.

"Kaori!" Shippo shouted running toward me.

"I.. It's okay Sh-shippo," I gasped, trying to ignore my pain, "I'm fine.. I've lived through worse remember?"

Inuyasha growled and I turned my gaze back to him, "So you're the bastard leading the spider-heads huh?"

"Heh Heh Heh," the monk chuckled, "I'd heard rumours of a hanyo who possessed the Shikon fragments. I've been waiting for you.."

"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed, "Even without spiritual powers.. A dirty old geezer yokai like you.. I'll smash you apart using physical strength alone!" He ripped the hand that held him in place off him and sprinted toward the yokai.

"Pathetic fool!" The monk shouted, strands of web shooting from his mouth. The strands wrapped themselves around Inuyasha's human body, locking themselves in place.

"Inuyasha!" I shouted jumping to my feet, and slashing throw the webs with my claws. Shippo followed my lead and, used his fox fire, setting the webs on fire. The monk growled and swung one of his thick limbs sending Shippo into the wall, and pushing me to the hard ground.

"Kaori!" Inuyasha shouted. I struggled against the limb but even for a small fry yokai he was strong. Also.. I was injured. The monk pulled the strands around Inuyasha's neck tighter, choking him.

"Heh. Lets see how your pathetic human body will hold up against my poison!" The monk's head shot forward and sunk his snake like fangs into Inuyasha's neck. I growled and snapped the limb that held me to the floor. My pain seemed to have vanished. I pulled out my katanas and sliced through the webbing surrounding me and the smaller spider-heads that advanced toward Shippo and Nazuna. I had to make sure they were okay and safe before I deserted them for Inuyasha.

"Kaori! Inuyasha is..." Shippo shouted pointing to the sky. I looked up, almost having totally forgotten about him.. but also hoping that he has still okay. But as usual.. my judgement had been wrong. Inuyasha lay across one of the limbs, his body, legs and arms being held up by the silky strands of spider web. His silver eyes were open...but dull and lifeless.

My heart pounded in my chest as I assumed the worst. I jumped onto one of the limbs in the monks web like body, my vision slightly tinted by red hot anger. The monk chuckled and glanced proudly toward Inuyasha. "I had given him a full dose of my poison.. His body is slowly dissolving from the inside.."

A aggressive growled ripped from my throat and the monk chuckled again. "Want to become my bait as well!" Webs shot from his mouth but I sliced through them easily with my claws, sprinting toward the yokai monk.. I was full of demonic anger.. hatred.. aggressiveness.. he's killed hi-

"K.. Ka.. ori.. "

I stopped, and whirled around. My breath caught in my throat as I saw Inuyasha staring down weakly at me. I almost cried out in relief. He.. He was alive.

"I'm coming!" I called, the yokai monk being wiped from my mind. I leaped up until I was kneeling beside him, and pulled on the webbing around his body.

"Run.. Away.. " he whispered, staring past me. I felt my eyes watering slightly. He looked.. so.. weak.. so breakable.

"Stupid.." I answered, snapping a strand with my teeth, "Why.. Why would I do that!"

"Idiot.. Listen to me!" he replied panicky, still staring blankly past me.

"I know I'm an idiot! But I can do this okay! I'm stick of running! So shut up and let me-"

"Not that! Behind you..!" he shouted. I turned my head around and noticed the yokai monk's head inches from my ankle.. coming forward at a speedy pace. I jerked back, landing on top of Inuyasha. The web around his body broken and we were suddenly falling toward the floor.

"Hey.." he said, staring at me now, "We're falling."

"Don't inform me about the obvious!" I snapped. We hit the ground seconds later, landing with a loud _thud_.

"Kaori!" Nazuna shouted running toward us. She wasn't a suspect.. she didn't smell of the yokais.. I could trust her. She helped me pull Inuyasha into my room nearby, only closing the door, seconds before the yokais reached us. I created a barrier around the room, but it was weak. I was injured.. and tired.. I wouldn't be able to use my powers to the maximum.

"Kaori! Thrust Tetsusaiga into the door.. along with one of your katanas!" Meoga ordered. Seeing no logic or sense in this demand.. I did it. I didn't have time to question his demands.. not now.. not when Inuyasha maybe moments away from death.

I fell to my knees and crawled over to be beside him, "Inuyasha.. Are you okay?"

He didn't answer. His eyes were closed.. he looked like he was sleeping.. or even.. I held his hand in mine. His hands were ice cold. His breathing sounded forced and shallow.. his heart was beating weakly inside him. He was dying. Tears welled up in my eyes.

I had been so mean.. So wretched toward him.. and now he was.. he might.. die. I wouldn't even have a chance.. to apologize.. He would die thinking I hated him.. feeling betrayed.. I would have caused him more pain then my sister had. I was supposed to be the one to stay by him forever no matter what.. not matter what happened or how much it bothered him.. I was supposed to stay, to protect him from further heartbreaks and such.. But I had failed.. and now he was going to die.. and it was all my fault.

I felt the tears roll down my cheeks and I wiped them away with my other hand. I didn't want to break down now when demons were fighting to get in.. but I couldn't stop. I was too upset.. in too much pain to do anything else.. Crying was my only escape.. it was the only way for me to get out the emotions I had been bottling up, over the past month.. My sobs didn't cease..

"Why.. are you crying?"

At first I thought I was delusional.. my mind was playing tricks on me so I would feel better. I pulled my hands away from my eyes and looked down at him. Inuyasha stared up at me weakly.. He was.. alive.. My tears suddenly stopped flowing and I stared at him in shock.

"I had to suck out the poison, Kaori-sama. It was a rather strange treatment and he will be a bit light headed but it was the only way he would survive.." A ten times larger Meoga explained, rolling away. I turned my gaze back to Inuyasha. Stared at him for a minute. Then broke into tears again.

"W.. Why'd you have.. to g-go and.. and do that.. f-for!" I sobbed, "Why.. Why'd you have t-t-t-to c-come here! You.. i-idiot! Yo.. you knew that.. t-there was yokai.. but y-you.. st-still came.. Even though you.. w-were going to turn hu-h-human!" I was blubbering. But I couldn't stop. I was too upset.. too happy that he was alive.

"You're pathetic.." he mumbled, turning his head away from me.

"Why do you have to be such a jerk! I'm.. only.. worried.." I admitted, staring at my hands.

"So what..?" he replied, before closing his eyes again and falling back into unconsciousness. I bit my lip to stop myself from crying. I deserved that.. Shippo was on my backpack, hugging his tail and sleeping. Meoga had rolled himself into a corner and was now dozing peacefully, and Nazuna was watching me from across the room.

I met her gaze, and she looked away embarrassed. I sighed and watched the human boy sleep, waiting until sunrise.

"I'm sorry.."

I looked up to see Nazuna kneeling down on the opposite side of Inuyasha, watching my face with pitiful brown eyes. "I'm sorry.. I was the one who lead him here.. It's my fault. I shouldn't have.."

"It's more my fault then yours," I replied, "If I had been more aware of my surroundings instead of worrying about running into him, then maybe this all wouldn't have happened. You didn't know that he would change, and I didn't know either but.. I should have realized the monk was a spider-head sooner.."

Her gaze lingered on Inuyasha, then she looked at me, "I'm also sorry about another thing.."

"What is it?" I mumbled.

"I'm sorry for acting so very rude to you guys.. It was only because the spider-heads killed my father last month.. since then I've been living here. And because my father was killed by yokai.. I came to think all yokai were like that.. But upon seeing you guys.. I can no longer say all yokai are bad.."

I tried to smile, but my attempts failed. "It's good that you changed your mind. But you shouldn't go thinking that all yokai are good. Most of them are ruthless killers.. that will stop at nothing for the Shikon no Tama. It would be rare to find a full yokai that can show compassion toward humans.. and even more so for hanyos.. what me and Inuyasha are.." I sighed, "I never really experienced it for myself.. because until a month ago my own soul had been compressed by a piece of my sister's.. making my body take the form of a human's. But Inuyasha has experienced it.. and.. it seems that nobody.. whether yokai nor human would be willing to show any form of acceptance toward us.."

"I'm sorry.." she mumbled. ,I didn't realize.."

"It's okay.. It's not your job to understand.. nobody expects you to." I replied. I felt my ears droop slightly as I realized the truth to my words. Nobody expected humans to care.. Inuyasha had never expected someone to sympathize.. Kikyo never expected someone to understand.. so then why must I always expect people to understand and to care? Why can't I.. just live my life.

She seemed to realize my discomfort with this topic for she pushed herself against the wall, brought her knees to her chest and fell asleep soon after. I had to bite my lip again to keep myself from breaking out into tears once more. I didn't know how I could have ever thought I would be able to make it on my own. I was too weak.. too emotionally weak to handle life.. I knew that.. But Inuyasha was right.. I was pathetic.. I was a pathetic excuse for a hanyo girl.. Maybe I didn't deserve this strength.. not if I couldn't even protect the people I care about.

The pain from my wound returned, and I tasted blood in my mouth. I stopped biting my lips and wiped away the blood. The pain would always return when I was alone and even thought there were others here.. everyone was in there own little world. I had to get my mind off the pain..

I laid down beside Inuyasha, and brushed away some of the raven hair in his face. I understood now, why he never wanted me to fight. If this was what I looked like, so fragile and breakable.. then I wouldn't let myself fight either. I kept jumping to conclusions and yelling at him when I didn't stop and try to understand where he was coming from.. like I used to.

When I was little it was easier for me to understand him.. I knew what he meant.. I always saw things from his point of view.. but now that ability had faded away.. Now it seemed I worried more about what he said about me more then what he actually meant. I don't know what happened to me.

I pulled my hand away but his hand suddenly shot up and pulled it back to his cheek, "Your hands are really warm.." he sighed.

I felt the heat rush to my cheeks, and I lifted my head off the floor to look at him. He wasn't as cold as earlier but.. he was still cold to the touch.. "I'm.. I'm sorry.. Did I wake you..?"

"No.." he replied, his eyes still closed, "I've been thinking this whole time.."

"About?" I whispered.

He paused, "I lied. I was just listening to your voice."

He let go of my hand, and turned toward me. I watched him nervously. Meoga had done a good job of removing the poison from his body but.. he was in no condition to be pushing himself to hard.. he should be resting. His lifted his hand to my hair and pulled the tie from its strands. My hair fell around me, getting in the way of my vision.

"Why.. did you do that?" I asked, brushing away the hair from my face.

"You looked better with your hair down.." he replied weakly. The heat in my face intensified, and I stared at him slightly surprised, not knowing what to say. What do you say to someone whose gone out of their mind? He was.. delusional.. crazy.. the blood loss made him drunk or something. He didn't realize what he was doing.. He.. he most defiantly wasn't seeing me.. "And you're even cuter when you blush.. Kaori."

I swallowed nervously and turned my back to him, "Obviously, I'm.. distracting you. Go to sleep. You need to rest, you're sick remember?" He was crazy! He didn't realize what he was saying.. He probably wont remember when he turns back to hanyo form.. and if he did then he'd probably regret what he said.. for he didn't mean it. I was.. the mental case remember? The stupid monkey girl! He was.. confused.. like he had been before.. he didn't realize I was that same Kaori that ran away last month.. the betrayer.

"I'm fine." he said, tugging on my hair.

I sat up abruptly and looked at him. "No you are not! You almost just.. You just almost.. You almost died, okay!"

"But I didn't die," he replied, "So I'm fine."

"You are not fine!" I shouted. Didn't we have this same argument before.. except it was me who had been insisting I was fine..and he was the one who was trying to convince me I wasn't.. "So go to sleep! Everyone else is sleeping-!"

He grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward him. I fell on my stomach beside him, my head on his chest, "Exactly.." he whispered, running his fingers through my hair, "So shut up.. or you'll wake everyone else up.."

My heart pounded inside me.. my breathing was quick and shaky.. my face was burning so much, I could even feel the heat in my ears. I knew he didn't mean anything he said.. and I knew I shouldn't have any effect on me.. but it did. I didn't understand what my problem was. I've known him since forever.. but even before.. his words never had an effect on me like it did now.. but then again.. he's never said such things to me either..

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

I don't remember when I feel asleep, but I woke up, hours later, to the sound of breaking wood. I jumped up, Inuyasha following, and stared at the door. Nazuna lay under a pile of debris the Tetsusaiga in one hand.. my katana in the other.

"She's drawn the swords and broken the kekkai!" Meoga gasped.

"Bu.. but why?" Shippo asked, staring at her weak figure on the floor.

The yokai monk chuckled from the door, the spider-heads slowly advancing inside my room. "Nazuna still believes in me, you see," he explained. "She was deceived so easily.. such a trusting girl.. like you are Kaori."

My eyes narrowed and I noticed something hanging from one of the strands of web in his mouth..

"The Shikon Shards!" Inuyasha shouted. I growled and yanked the swords from Nazuna's hands, but as I was about to toss the Tetsusaiga aside.. seeing as it's not mine, a heavy weight appearing in my hand I was sent crashing to the floor.

A huge shinny white fang sword was grasped in my hand, and I stared gaping at it.

"What the hell!" Inuyasha shouted, "Why did it transform for her!"

I struggled to my feet as he shouted, the sword making it extremely difficult to move, "This thing weights a million pounds! How the hell do you manage to lug it around like you do!"

"It does not weight a million pounds you stupid girl! But why did it transform!" he barked.

"How am I supposed to know!" I replied, dropping the stupid sword from my hand, "I can't even pick it up so shut up, and never mind!"

I sprinted toward the yokai monk, slashing through his feeble body, while listening to Meoga explanations behind me.

"The only reason why Tetsusaiga transforms for Kaori, is because she is a hanyo," Meoga explained, hastily, "It will change for any hanyo out there.. but as you, Inuyasha-sama, use that sword to protect Kaori, or someone other then yourself it is lightweight for that is easy for one such as you.. But for Kaori on the other hand it would be like her protecting herself.. which we all know is a heavy burden to bare.. she cannot hold up that responsibility of protecting herself and so she cannot hold up the sword.. It makes perfect sense."

I growled at him and he quickly threw an apology in my direction. Stupid jerk! Saying that protecting me is such a heavy burden to bare on everyone. It's not that hard! I've managed to stay alive for a whole month on my own! What's the big deal? Suddenly my feet hit something and I was crashing down to the floor. Oh yeah.. I'm accident-prone.

"Kaori!" Inuyasha shouted. At the tone of his voice, I knew I was moments away from being injured by something. I tried to get up but pain shot through my leg. I looked back to see my foot was stuck through a broken board in the floor.

I felt someone grab me and pull my feet from the wood. A second later I was being held on the other side of the room, the farthest away from the yokai. I glanced behind me. Inuyasha stood behind me glaring at the yokai. He was.. back to normal. Silver hair.. golden eyes.. doggie ears. I left out a breath that I seemed to be holding and turned toward the yokai.

It was easier now.. Easier then it had ever been before. It was easier to fight now that I could think straight. It was easier to live now that I knew I wouldn't be running away anymore. It was easier to be myself now that I had realized how much of an idiot I had been in the past.. but still it would be hard.. It would be harder because now.. I had his strange confessions permanently burned into my mind.. and now I wouldn't be able to forget it.


	11. The Ill And The Uninformed

A/N: soo this chapter's dates aree: sept 30 - octoberr 3rd. but remember if you find that i am wrong on ANYTHING just tell me!

* * *

**You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.**

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I Do Not Own Inuyasha

* * *

11. The Ill and the Uninformed

I stared across the village, watching as Inuyasha helped the village repair some of the damage from the last yokai attack which had taken place on my.. er.. vacation. I didn't understand him. What he said the other day.. he didn't seem to remember it at all. Just like before.. his intimate actions seemed to have been wiped from his mind. It was like those words had never left his lips. Like it had never happened.

I stared at my left hand, and flexed and relaxed my fingers. Maybe.. it had been a dream? I let my hand fall to my side and searched the village for him again. It was possible it had been a dream. It did seem as though I was the only one who remembered. But.. something inside me wanted it to be real.. that he really did mean what he said. I didn't understand why any part of me would want that though..

"Kaori! Come down here!" my sister called from the ground below.

"Kay!" I called back, jumping from the roof of our small wooden hut to land gracefully beside her. I smoothed out the wrinkles in my vibrant red mini kimono, with the shimmering gold cherry blossom pattern, and tightened the black sash around my waist. Kaede-onee-chan smiled upon perfection and I beamed back.

I followed her across the village, re-tying my pigtails with black and red ribbons and shivering as my naked feet touched the cool autumn ground. The Shikon shards were hidden in one of the many folds of my kimono, as that impostor Inuyasha had stolen my chain..

My mind was still distracted with the words of Inuyasha, as my sister spoke softly beside me. I couldn't tell whether she was speaking to me or to the passing villagers, but it didn't seem to matter. I nodded when the tone of her voice made it seem appropriate, and continued not to pay attention.

It wasn't until the scent of wolves hit my nose, did I stop and look around. Everything seemed normal.. Maybe it was just lingering scents from the yokai attack.. maybe a clan of wolf yokai had attacked.

"Hey, Kaede.. Was the yokai that attacked.. Was it a wolf youkai clan?" I asked.

"Why no Kaori. It was a centipede.. you know that," she replied, looking at me suspiciously.

"Ah.. right." I mumbled, my face burning with embarrassment. Of course.. Kaede had told me that earlier. I looked to my right, toward the forest. What was that..? A.. A whirlwind? What the-

Suddenly the cocky, raven haired, and blue eyed Koga appeared a few feet from me. He stared at me unblinking for a second, then glanced around him. I watched him confused, as his gaze passed me numerous times. What the hell was he doing?

Then abruptly, Inuyasha landed in front of me. "What the hell are you doing here, flea bag!" he growled, placing himself between Koga and I.

"What does it look like, mutt face!" Koga snapped back, "I'm looking for Kaori! Her scent's all over this place."

Inuyasha's eye brows knotted together in confusion as he looked at me then back to Koga. Then a smirk appeared on his face, and he crossed his arms over his chest, "Kaori isn't here stupid, can't you tell!"

What the hell was he talking about? I was right here.. Why didn't Koga recognize me? The gentle breeze played with my blue hair, blowing it across my face. Oh.. I had changed. I didn't look the same way as I did when I was human.. That's why he didn't realize..

"She has to be here!" Koga growled, "Her scent's still fresh! She was here not even two seconds ago!"

"Well why don't you go fucking look for her then, because you won't find her here!" Inuyasha shouted. I watched them bicker about me as if I were invisible. But they were talking about the human me and that was who Koga was looking for.. Inuyasha was right in that sense.. Koga wouldn't find the Kaori he wanted here.. not now anyway.

I looked around. Kaede seemed to have disappeared. I spotted her talking to some of the village children. She must have felt me staring at her, for she looked up and smiled at me.. She knew something.. She knew something that I didn't know. She has to know.. whatever it is she knows.. or.. there wouldn't be a reason for her to look to amused when she watches Inuyasha and Koga fight. She knew something about them that I was oblivious to!

I started to walk off in her direction, but a hand grabbed hold of my tail and pulled me back. "Where the hell do you think you're going?" Inuyasha growled and inappropriate shivers ran down my spine.

"Kaede knows something." I answered, trying to shake off the redness in my face, "She knows something suspicious.. something that_ I_ don't even know.. I want to find out."

"What do you mean 'something that_ you _don't even know'? You don't know anything, you're a mental case, remember?"

I growled, and yanked my tail from his grasp, "Osuwari!" I turned away from him, my arms folded across my chest. What a jerk! Any time.. any chance he gets, he'll tease me! What the hell is his problem? You'd think he'd be nicer to me now that I'm back, but no! He just teases me more now!

"Kaori?"

Damn.. Koga figured it out..

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

I whisked about the kitchen, only slightly listening to my mother's rants. Kaede had taken it upon herself to inform Koga about my change, as it seems I am no good with explanations.. Also I barely remembered anything from that time.. only the pain. So as Kaede explained, I had gone home, to relax and to live up to my end of the bargain. Koga knew where I was and was okay with it but I didn't tell Inuyasha I was leaving. I hadn't known where Inuyasha had gone off to, so informing him of my departure was impossible. He had disappeared when Koga found out who I was..

I sighed and sat down at the kitchen table, a bowl of ramen in my hand. He was always doing this. Disappearing in to mid air, then popping up out of no where a few hours later. When he'll be back, he'll act like he didn't just take off for hours and go on with annoying me about things that were totally irrelevant.

I quickly finished my lunch and ran upstairs to have a bath, jumping out the door before my mother noticed me leaving. The bath helped my body relax and let me think about things without distractions. Koga apparently loved me.. and that was why he wanted me to marry him. Inuyasha.. I have no idea how he feels about this, me or anything and anybody, which makes my life even more confusing and complicated then it already is. I hadn't see much of Shippo since the other day, but that was because he was enjoying his childhood like every little kid should.. and then there was my sisters.

I don't know what happened to Kikyo since my transformation. I didn't have the nerve to ask.. and if I did then they'd probably turn their backs on me and refuse to tell me anything. Kaede.. she knew something.. Something about Inuyasha and Koga.. Now if she hadn't been the type of woman who understands everything, and understand why people act the way they do, then I wouldn't care. But since she is like that.. and since she had inspected Inuyasha's behaviour all this time, since I'd left, I have to care.

I drained the water, and wrapped the towel around me. It was then that I noticed I'd forgotten to bring my new clothes in with me. I sighed and slowly opened the door, the freezing cold dry air sending goosebumps up my arm.

"Oi! Who said you could go home when ever you felt like it?"

I screamed and held the towel tighter around my body. Inuyasha was standing in front of me.. watching me with a murderous expression. I guess he didn't realize my situation right now..

"Uhm.. I'm kinda busy at the moment.." I stammered, stepping toward my door, keeping my eyes on him. "Uh.. I'll t-talk to you later, okay?" I took off into a sprint, trying to reach my room as soon as possible. He grabbed my arm, pulling me back and glared.

"I'm not finished talking," he hissed. I stared at him nervously, keeping a tight hold on the towel.. He was so stupid.. He didn't notice anything..

"Kaori-chan?"

I felt my heart lurch, and I slowly looked toward the stairs. Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi stood on the top stair, gaping at me. I stared back at them trying to see this situation from their point of view. Me.. Still with my blue hair, but now with black inu ears, and a black fluffy tail.. Soaking wet.. only in a towel.. Being held back.. inches from.. a silver haired, dog eared.. guy..

"Hey.. isn't that-"

I screamed, my face burning with embarrassment. I yanked my arm from his grasp, then ran into my room, slamming and locking the door behind me. So embarrassing! They must have all these strange thoughts in their heads now! What am I going to do? How could I explain this!

I quickly threw on a pair of black jeans and a big grey sweater, and whipped down the stairs dreading the explanation that I would have to give to my accusing friends. I didn't bother hiding my tail and ears, they already seen it, so what was the use? I'll just have to make up another lie to explain that as well.

When I reached the living room, I first noticed Inuyasha, who was sitting cross-legged on the couch, his shoulders hunched forward, his face red as his kimono. The blush even reached his ears, which were now a slight shade of pink. The disastrous trio stood behind the couch on the other side of the room, staring murderously at him. Souta stood, looking confused, in front of the t.v, staring back and forth between them.

The room was silent, except for the murmurs from the old t.v, displaying one of Souta's favourite cartoons. A commercial came on for cell phones, and I remembered I had wanted one for my birthday as well. My birthday.. the first day I came through the well.. It seemed so long ago. It was only a month and a weeks.. but to me, it felt like a life time.. Er.. lets not get off track now.

I took in a shaky breath, and took a step forward. I was so quiet, it almost came to me as a shock when Inuyasha's head snapped toward me automatically. I remembered that we had better hearing.. so of course he would hear me. His face grew redder still, if that was even possible, and he looked toward the TV pretending to watch.

Ayumi, Eri, and Yuka, now turned toward me, staring at me accusingly and upset. I cleared my throat, nervously, and ushered Souta out of the room before I began. He didn't need to be here.. especially when Yuka starts with the accusations.. Once Souta was out, and the door closed behind me with a soft click, did Yuka attack.

"Okay, Kaori! What's going on?" she demanded, instantly. "I thought you said you didn't have a boyfr-!"

"AHHH!" I shouted, covering her mouth, "Okay, okay, don't need to say the whole thing.. especially not _that _word!"

"But, Kaori-chan..." Ayumi said, staring at me pleadingly for an explanation, "You said you didn't.. but this boy came up to you on the street last month too.. then you disappeared!"

My eyes darted toward Inuyasha. He was still looking away at the T.V, which now showed a commercial for dog food.. But his ears twitching now and then proved he was listening.

"Everything is all a misunderstanding! That guy is someone I've know my whole life, and.. heusedtolovemysister! So there can be nothing.. at all.. Okay!" I blurted, trying to make the explanation a quick as possible.. They couldn't go on thinking he was my boyfriend..

"He used to love Kagome?" Eri questioned, staring at me curiously.

"Eh..?" I said. What did she mean Kagome? What does Kagome have to do with anything? "What are you talking about? Kagome? I'm talking about Kiky.. Oh! You don't know her! My other sister! My real sister! From my biological family..!"

"Oh!" They gasped.

"So.. He's the person you've been hanging out with, since he's from your past?" Ayumi asked.

This was easier then I thought. I sighed and started steering them toward the door, "Yes! We haven't seen each other since I was little, so we have some catching up to do, bye!" I slammed the front door quickly behind them and locked it. Good, I didn't have to explain the tail.. or that embarrassing insentient earlier.. They were too distracted, by the fact that I knew this silver haired, anger management freak more then anything. I had avoided that headache, thank god.

I sighed, and walked back into the living room, where Inuyasha now, not only had his head turned away, but now his back was to me as well. I could smell the nervousness and embarrassment radiating off him. This was awkward.. the first time we were alone together since I had left.. since the new moon. I still hadn't apologized for being a jerk and leaving.. Maybe he didn't trust me anymore.. I was.. untrustworthy.

I gasped, slightly, as this hit me. Of course he didn't trust me! I had left it had hurt him and now I'm back.. which meant more pain.. He probably hates me.. but..._"And you're even cuter when you blush..." _Those couldn't be the words of someone who hated me. But then I had been dreaming through that time, hadn't I..? So it wasn't real then, and so I shouldn't be worrying or getting distracted by little things like that..

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

Inuyasha mentally cursed at himself. First he almost kissed her on that day before Kikyo was resurrected, then he said strange things to her on the new moon.. after that he was a idiot and ignored her all day, and now he did something without realizing it, and now she was embarrassed. He was such a moron. He was making her feel unconformable and awkward.. embarrassed, and nervous. He was always making her cry, and hurt. She was always confused after he did such stupid things.

After he had almost kissed her without realizing it, he noticed her confusion through out the day. Then the hurt and pain afterwards, when she thought he'd forgotten. He only pretended to forget so there wouldn't be that awkward tension between them.

"What are you guys watching?" It was that kids voice. He glanced back, finally snapping out of the trance he was in. Kaori was curled up in the small arm char across from him, her aquamarine eyes glued to the strange box with the moving people inside, watching it looking uninterested, and bored. The kid Souta, was standing in the door way, seeming confused.

"Go away, Souta," Kaori growled, grabbing a small box and pushing one of it's small buttons. The people on the magical box changed instantly now displaying a moving animal drawing chasing around a drawing of a person. The picture changed again, but the different pictures flashing across the screen were going too fast for Inuyasha to understand what was happening.

Souta walked up beside Kaori, and leaned on the arm of the chair, "I don't know how you expect to find anything to watch if you keep flipping through the channels, like that. Look! You can't even tell what's going on!"

"I can tell," she replied, the pictures changing faster now, "There's nothing on." She threw the small box behind her as she got up. The bigger picture box now showed two people sitting at a wooden desk, talking in boring monotonous voices. Souta's nose winkled up in disgust, and he quickly grabbed the box and pushed another button. The picture on the larger cube suddenly went black, and the boy dove behind it.

Kaori was on the other side of the room, standing on her tip-toes, reaching for a glass jar filled with small colourful objects. She jumped and grabbed it off the wooden cabinet, opened the red lid, and pulled out three of the small objects. They crinkled as she grasped them in her fist, and she placed the jar back on top of the cabinet.

She opened one of the small packets and pushed whatever it held in her mouth. Her eyes then turned toward Inuyasha, and she sighed. "This place is boring. Let's go.."

"You're going back already?" Souta asked, peeking up from behind the magic box.

"Yes.." she answered, slightly annoyed.

"With your hair wet?"

"Yep."

"But mom's gonna be mad when she finds out, you went out with your hair wet in this weather. It's cold and you could get sick."

"Yeah but mom, won't be able to kill me since I'll be in the past, and I'm not totally human anymore, so there's a lesser chance that I'll get sick."

"Fine, but if you do get sick, and you have to come back here.." The boy sighed.

"Yeah but I'm not gonna get sick!" Kaori snapped.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

I sneezed into my Kleenex that I seemed to have been holding to my nose all day. That stupid Souta! He jinxed me! I probably would have been fine if he hadn't mentioned me getting sick. My nose was runny, and I felt dizzy and hot. I was trying my best to hide it from everyone.. If I was sick then we would have to post-pone the search for the jewel shards, but I wasn't sick.. Just a little under the weather.. nothing huge.. I'll be better by tomorrow.. I know it.

"Kaori, are you sure you're okay? You've been sneezing a lot," Shippo asked, jumping onto my shoulder.

"Mm! I'm okay, really. It's just a little cold, nothing I can't handle!" I shooed him off my shoulder, and ran ahead of them, trying to sniff out any new scents. I still hadn't gotten over the fact that I could smell so many things at once.. Although since I was currently ill, half of those scents were cut off, it was like being a human again. Ugh.

I felt someone's hand grasp around my tail and I was pulled back. My back was brought up against someone, and they let go of my tail and placed their hand on my forehead. Shivers, inappropriateness, blushing. Inuyasha...really needed to stop touching my tail.. it's.. kinda.. a personal area I've noticed. I felt the sudden urge to sneeze and I pulled away as that urge became unbearable.

"Achoo!" I stared groggily at the ground, I hated being sick. I noticed Inuyasha staring at me out of the corner of my eye, "What?"

"You're sick."

"NO!" I shouted. I flinched from the sound of my own voice. I was too loud.. My ears hurt, too.. I rubbed them trying to make them feel better, and groaned. I felt awful.

"Yes, you are," he replied calmly.

"No.." I felt weak.. and tired. It's too hot.. Suddenly my legs gave away, and I was sent crashing toward the ground. Inuyasha caught me before I hit the dirt, but then I was sent into a violent coughing fit. "I.. I thought you.. said hanyous couldn't.. co-couldn't get sick.."

"Everyone can get ill, Kaori-sama." Meoga said, from Inuyasha's shoulder. "But yokai and part yokai have better immune systems, but-"

"But I'm a freak so I got left out!" I hissed, sneezing again, "It's not fair."

"Doesn't matter what's fair," Inuyasha hissed back, feeling my forehead again, "You have a fever, so you're sick."

I pushed him again and got up, "It's nothing! It'll go away..soon.." Then everything was dark.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

Inuyasha stared at the sleeping girl. Once she had fainted they'd taken her to a near by village, who weren't to happy to have taken in a group of yokai, but a suspicious monk had calmed down the villagers and let them stay. Kaori's face was pale and her cheeks flushed. Her hair clung to her face, and she seemed to be in pain. But there was nothing he could do.. She was sick and they had to wait until she was awake to give her any medicine.

She opened her eyes weakly, and sat up. "So.. Hot.." she whispered, loosening her kimono. Sweat trickled down her face, and she pushed the blankets off her. She wiped the sweat from her brow and looked around, "Where..?" her eyes landed on him, "Inuyasha..?"

"You're in a village," he said, answering her questioning gaze.

"A village..? I told you I was fine!" she yelled.

"How can you say that after you fainted?"

Kaori flinched, and looked away, "I don't want to be sick.. You want to find the jewel shards and over the past while I've slowed us down. If I'm sick then that's more problems I'm causing."

Inuyasha didn't no how to respond. What she'd pointed out was only partially true. It wasn't as much as a problem as it was unavoidable. There was really nothing they could do about it but help her get better.

"But.. Then it's my fault then, isn't it?" she forced a laugh, and looked back at him, "If I had listened to my little brother then I wouldn't be sick." A small childish smile formed on her lips, and he felt the heat rush to his cheeks. What was his problem! Why was he blushing!

"Maybe.." she murmured, crawling over to her backpack, "Maybe this would be a good time.. to study?" She pulled out a large green book, and started flipping through the pages. She stopped on one of the pages, and her eyes quickly scanned down the paper. Her eyes grew wide with fear and she suddenly closed the book and whipped it across the room.

Inuyasha jumped to his feet, and staring suspiciously at the book. Seconds ticked by, and nothing happened. He looked at the feverish girl, who was huddled up in the corner.

"What the hell was that?" he shouted.

"The book was talking about how dogs became inugami.. it said that the owner would chop their heads off.." She made a sound that half between a cough and a forced sob, and he sat back down sighing.

"That's not true you know," he mumbled never taking his eyes off her.

"How would you know!" she shouted accusingly, jumping to her feet. They stared at each other for a minute, and he could have sworn he seen everything click in her head as she figured it out.

"Oh.." Kaori mumbled sitting back down. She held up her head with her hand and stared at the wall.

Inuyasha growled and stared past her. Who was she? Trying to tell him the specifics of being a dog demon when he was practically one himself. Well, she was one too, but she'd spend most of her life as a human and in a whole different world where people like him were myths and legends, so she really had no say in anything about anything.

The hut was suddenly filled with silence as Kaori lapsed into a dreamless sleep once again. It was better for her to sleep, but Inuyasha wished that she could just stay awake long enough for them to be able to give her some kind of medicine to make everything go by faster. Being sick was something he didn't know of, for he'd never been sick before, but the way she coughed and how her face twisted into expressions of pain and discomfort every now and then, he could only want it to be over sooner for her.

Soft footsteps echoed outside the door getting closer and closer with each humanly pace. Inuyasha looked away form the girl and toward the door, catching the scent of the young monk that had persuade the villagers to let them stay here. The sliding door opened silently seconds later, and the figure of a Buddhist monk was silhouetted against the moon.

"What do you want, monk?" Inuyasha growled. He was a stranger and he didn't want her near the sickly girl. Inuyasha suspected that this could be a trick from the very start to get the group of them killed, but Kaori's condition was so bad that he'd take anything. But he was also ready for anything too.

The monk inspected the hut with his midnight blue eyes thoroughly, until resting on the edgy hanyo, and smiled, "I was just coming to see if your friend was awake yet, I thought I heard talking but I guess I was wrong."

The monk didn't leave and instead walked further into the hut and stopped near the sleeping girl. He bent down to get a closer look, and brushed the back of his hand against her forehead. Inuyasha suddenly felt hatred and fury toward this guy. How dare he touch her! A low growl escaped his lips, and the monk turned his gaze back to him, an amused expression on his face.

"Do not worry," the monk assured him, "I will not harm her in anyway."

Inuyasha didn't buy it and growled at him again. The monk stood up and raised his hands palms facing toward the angry hanyo. His expression was nervous, only the slightly amount of amusement stayed with his handsome features.

He chuckled nervously, "My name is Miroku, I'm.. the monk around here."

"Don't care," Inuyasha growled, "Get out."

"I'm sorry but I'm afraid I can't do that."

"And why not-!" Inuyasha was ready to get violent and was already on his feet, but Kaori's sudden gasps for air and her heart beat increasing rapidly interrupted and forced his anger else where. She was getting worse.

Inuyasha was at her side in an instant. He lifted her shoulders and tried to wake her up, to at least give her something to help but she would wake. He'd been wrong before. She wasn't sleeping, she was totally unconscious. Her gasps became laboured and her heart was beating was to fast.

Shippo was up. He looked around groggily and confused for a moment, until his emerald eyes latched onto the gasping girl. He yelped was also at her side instantly.

"Oh no!" he choked, holding back tears.

"Get lost Shippo!" Inuyasha demanded, "You being here isn't going to help! You'll just be in the way!"

"Baka!" Shippo cried, viciously, "She's my friend too!"

"Now's not the time to be fighting you two," Meoga sighed, "Kaori is in serious trouble here."

"Yes I have to agree," Miroku interrupted. Inuyasha glared at him, but the monk wasn't fazed by it in the least, "It appears to me.. that your friend has been cursed."

"Cursed? By who?" Inuyasha shouted, he didn't believe anything this monk could say would help at all, but he was to desperate. Kaori was burning under his hands, and she couldn't breath.

"That's impossible to know."

"Well that really helps a lot, thanks!"

"Inuyasha-sama, calm down please!" Meoga insisted, "Kaori is not in any real danger, yet."

"What..?" Inuyasha gasped, suddenly frozen.

"Kaori has been cursed as I said, though it's impossible to tell by whom," Miroku explained, "Possibly a powerful demon, or a spiritual human, we don't know.. However, depending on the curse her life maybe in grave danger."

"And how you know anything about this, monk?" Inuyasha hissed through clench teeth. This madding. This stranger and everyone around him knew so much more about this thing that was killing Kaori than he did.

"I am just well informed." Miroku replied.

"Are you informed enough to know you are not welcome here!" Inuyasha spat.

"Inuyasha-sama control your temper. He could be useful in saving Kaori-sama's life." Meoga informed him, shutting the boy up.

"Yes, I do however know of a counter-curse to save her.." said the monk.

"Well make with the spells!" Inuyasha demanded.

"It is not a spell. You need special plant for this, a pure spiritual plant, and sadly I do not know where to find it."

"Well that's not very helpful! Once again you've proved yourself useless!"

"I know where to find it!" Shippo shouted, trying to catch their attention. Inuyasha was suddenly on it. He grabbed the fox by the tail and started shaking him violently.

"What do you mean you know where to find it! You shoulda said something earlier!"

"Inuyasha that not anyway to treat a child," Miroku said, surprised by his violence.

"Shut up, monk," Inuyasha snapped and dropped the kitsune to the floor.

Shippo rubbed his head where it hit the floor, but quickly got to business. "The flower is on a mountain. High up around the place I used to live with my father. It's a long journey but I know the flower will save Kaori instantly.."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

Inuyasha ran swiftly through the forest, not caring about the monk and kitsune yokai falling behind him. He had wanted to go alone. It would be faster this way, but the monk had insisted, and Shippo had whined, and Meoga had convinced him to let them tag along for they where the people with the information. Not him.

He growled at the thought. Kaori was dying, and yet he could do nothing. The strangers and the annoyances knew more about this then he did, and it angered him. He should be the one who knew all this. He should be the one who knew how to save her life. Not them.

But abandoning the village also meant abandoning Kaori, which was another of the reasons he wished he could have gone alone. Kaori burned his skin through his kimono as he held her. She felt like she was on fire, and even the cool air that whipped by wasn't enough to cool her down. He would have thought moving her would have been the wrong thing to do, but every time he stopped running, she'd gasp for air. It was like she need help to breathe.

So that's what they were doing. Helping her breath. Inuyasha never rested. The others did, but he didn't. The monk was fast enough so after an hour of rest they'd catch up. Inuyasha didn't feel tired, and even if he did he doubted he could sleep, not with this girl crying and gasping in pain. They'd been doing this for two days now.. and she was only getting worse.

But right now she seemed totally healthy, except for her volcano fever and speeding heart. She slept easily and peacefully as if it were any other day. No pain, no gasping, no crying. She was silent and peaceful. And that's how Inuyasha wanted it to stay. But it was hard to carrier her and run at the same time. Not when she unconscious and limp like this. At this point he worried about dropping her other then anything else.

"Inuyasha-sama. Are you sure you do not want to sleep?" Meoga asked, from his shoulder an hour later.

"I'm fine," Inuyasha replied, staring straight ahead.

The flea sighed, "Inuyasha-sama she is okay. The way her body reacts when you stop moving is just her brain over-reacting. You know how Kaori is such a drama queen. Honestly, nothing is wrong. She can't feel anything. She will go on 'bouts of extreme chaos to extreme peace, but it is nothing to be worried about, she might even wake up. You must be tired, go find the others. Kaori's okay."

Inuyasha didn't reply. Up until Meoga had mentioned it, he didn't feel the exhaustion. Suddenly he felt as though he weighted a million pounds, and he couldn't keep up the same pace as before. The flea nodded vigorously as if doing that would help prove his point, and directed the tired hanyo back to the cave.

The monk and kitsune child sat around a small fire, talking in low voices.

"So Kaori-sama's known the hanyo since she was a child then?" Miroku asked, taking a bite of his fish. "If that's the case then Inuyasha must be very old."

Inuyasha growled, taking about his age wasn't something to be aloud. The monk looked up surprised, then his dark blue eyes became nervous and almost frightened as he took in the angry face of the man towering over him. "Oh, hello Inuyasha-ah-!"

The monk fell over unconscious due to Inuyasha's fist, "Kaori was human for 10 years idiot."

"I don't think he can hear you," Shippo informed him, crawling up the monks unconscious body, "I think you killed him."

"Don't worry, Shippo," Meoga sighed, "Miroku-sama is not dead.." He looked over to the fuming hanyo who lay the sickly girl on a patch of soft ground not too close to the fire, "Yet.."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

The crickets chirped happily through the night, keeping sleep from taking him. It was impossible. How could Meoga possibly think that it would be possible for him to sleep with Kaori in such a critical condition. Inuyasha glanced toward her, sleeping peacefully. Well, she wasn't bad _now_. He thought back to what Meoga had said about her having rounds of good and bad.. waking up sometimes.. possibly..

But her sudden change in condition only made it that much more harder for him to fall asleep. Who knows what this change meant? That she was reaching another horrible stage in this curse? That she was dying? These questioned bounced around in his head all night, making it impossible to sleep.

The girl rolled over and sighed. Her aquamarine eyes suddenly fluttered open, and he was at her side in an instant. She looked up at him, "I.. Inuyasha?"

Suddenly her eyes grew wide and she snapped up, "What! Where am-" she swayed, as the blood rushed from her head, and Inuyasha's hands shot out to steady her. "Thanks.."

"H.. How are you awake?"

She leaned against his chest, and looked around. "How am I supposed to know..? So now you've brought me to a little camp site? If the next time I wake up and I'm in a tree or on the edge of a cliff, I'm pushing you off it," she giggled, but winced as it brought pain to her throat. Her rubbed her neck, and looked back to him.

She looked suddenly sympathetic, and worried and she raised her hand to his face. "You looked tired.." she whispers, tracing the dark circles under his eyes, "Why aren't you sleeping?"

Inuyasha looked away, his bangs falling over his eyes. This was harder then he thought. He thought it would be easy to see her better, but he knew that in due time she'd be suffering again.. as Meoga said it was just an episode.. The thought was almost too much.

"Inuyasha?" her voice broke at the end, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, "Inuyasha, I.. I know you're worried about me like all the time because I'm so danger prone, and weak. But I'm fine really. Like I said before, it's nothing I can't handle, trust me. You've got to believe that."

"Kaori."


	12. Dreams

A/N: i also kind of half hate and half love this chapterr. date: October 4 IF YOU GET CONFUSEEDD tell me. im not desperate for like reviews or anything, just to let u know, i just wanna make sure my story is mistake free ]:

* * *

**You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.**

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I Do Not Own Inuyasha

* * *

12. Dreams

I heard it all. Every heart beat, every breath. Every foot step, and every leap Inuyasha made. I was more awake then I had ever been before, but I was locked deep inside myself. I couldn't find my voice, I couldn't find my body. Every time I would search, I would only find the suffering boy who was determined to save me. I had been locked inside myself since the new moon.

Yes, I was hurting. Yes, I was burning. But this was nothing compared to my transformation. Nothing like the acid in my veins. Nothing like the razors around my wrists. This was like a tap on the hand, after you just broke your wrist. Absolutely nothing. But the memory of my transformation wouldn't leave my mind. It was there and it wouldn't go away. My heart pounded at the memory, and I hyperventilated frequently. The only time my hyperventilation would stop, would be when he was running, because, if we were moving, then there was no way that I was in the acid water.

Last night.. I don't know why I had regained my consciousness.. But it was such a relief that I could breath again, I was happy that I could banish the memory away, but my mood had been short lived. He had looked so tired.. He looked like he was about to cry. And I wanted to cry because I knew it was my fault. It was because I was sick, and he was worried, and crazy from sleep deprivation. Bad things were always happening to me..

I was messing up his sleeping patterns, eating patterns. Every thing he was supposed to be doing for himself, I was messing that up because I was sick. He was practically killing himself because of me.. Now I know that was a little extreme but if this continued for much longer..

I heard voices then, and knew these words that they spoke. But I couldn't understand the words. I couldn't remember which voice belonged to who.

"How much farther!"

"Oh jeez, Inuyasha. Be patient. Meoga said Kaori is fine, and I know Kaori is fine until a few more days, and Miroku knows how to make the medicine. It's not too much further.."

"How much is not too much!"

"Um.. Maybe.. a day or two-? Ow! What did you do that for!"

"Shoulda known not to follow a stupid fox around.."

"Hey! You take that back- You know Kaori would sit you if she were awake!"

"Shut up."

I tired to sigh, but it was impossible when you're so lost inside yourself. I wanted to listen more.. at least I could tell I was alive by the noise, but the noise faded. And even now I couldn't hear or feel anything. Everything was gone.. everything was dark. I felt like I was floating on a cloud up in the sky, or submerged under water in the sea. Had I died? Was I still there somewhere? Was.. Was I.. ? I suddenly feel into unconsciousness, and couldn't think of anything anymore.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

When I found myself, everything felt different. Inuyasha's arms where hard and much to big. My kimono didn't feel like silk anymore, and I could feel fabric against my legs down to my ankles. I couldn't heard his heart beat, I couldn't hear his breathing nor feel the steps he took. I was still.. and not hurting. I couldn't feel my hyperventilation anymore. I couldn't feel my heart racing. But there was something else. I didn't feel like a hanyo anymore. I couldn't make out the scents that I should have been able to. I didn't feel as strong as I should.

My eyes fluttered open at that moment, and I found my self staring up at a wooden roof. I frowned. I couldn't see the grains in the wood. I couldn't see the dust partials floating around.

I sat up, looking around me. I would demand to know what the hell was going on. Human changes were unforgivable unless it was the full moon, which I was sure it wasn't. But the room was empty, and I was alone. Strange.. With my sickness Inuyasha had never left my side for a moment before..

I kicked off the thin sheet over my human body, and looked down at my form. No fluffy black tail. No claws.. Nothing. My red kimono was gone too. Instead I was in miko clothing, except the pants were a navy blue instead of red. A lock of hair fell over my shoulder into my face from the wind coming from an open window, and again I was taken by surprise.

Instead of my copper colour, my hair was a raven black. It wasn't slightly curly or wavy like it should be either, it was perfectly straight. I jumped to my feet and grabbed a bucket of water that sat by a small fire in the centre of the room. I stared at my reflection in the water and bit my lip. My eyes weren't green either, they were the same shade of pretty brown as Kikyo's. My face was still the same as when I was human, but the girl I saw in the water wasn't me.

I set the bucket back on the floor, and I fell back onto my bottom. What was going on? Why was I so different? Was this a side effect from any meds Inuyasha or Meoga had given me? I gasped at this realization. I had changed again! Surely this time Inuyasha wouldn't be able to take it!

I covered my face with my hands. No! I had just got back! I wasn't going to leave again but.. if Inuyasha couldn't take it, then I wouldn't make him stay but.. It had only been a few days! I wasn't ready to be alone again just yet!

I heard the mat covering the door move and I looked up, trying to make my tears disappear before they went to the dark side and fell down my face. But the person standing in the door way forced those tears away instantly, for I was too shocked to cry.

My sister.. Kikyo.. stood in the doorway, full of colour and not ghostly pale as I remembered. She was absolutely glowing, and the smile on her face was one I had never seen before. I sat gaping at her, until two little figures moved and forced me to look away.

Two children stood by her legs. One a boy. Perfectly straight raven hair, and large chocolate brown eyes. He looked to be maybe 2.. or 3. His index finger was in his mouth, and the other hand was holding the hand of the other child.

The other child, I was much more interested in at this moment. Even though the boy was a beautiful baby, and the splitting image of my sister and the girl I had seen in the water, this other child was.. just the splitting image of someone else.

Her sparkling silver eyes stared at me from across the room, shimmering like diamonds. Her devilish raven hair was long and reached her knees, and was left untied. Although her hair wasn't perfectly straight like the boy's, although her skin wasn't ivory either.. she was just far more enchanting though it took me a moment to figure out why I thought so.

This little girl, who looked maybe 6 or 7, who stared at me, with a mischievous little grin on her face, was the splitting image.. the younger female twin, of my human Inuyasha.

"Kaori-chan!" The girl shouted, letting go of the boy's hand and running into my lap. She wrapped her little arms around my neck, and buried her face into the raven hair that fell over my shoulders. I was to shocked to move. This little girl maybe Inuyasha's human twin, but.. her personality wasn't exactly the same.

The little girl pulled away, and smiled at me, showing off perfectly white sparkling teeth. "Kao-chan! Kao-chan! Kao-chan!" The girl chanted, "Ruu-chan and Chichi-ue left wif out me! You beat them up for me, okay?"

Chichi-ue...? It took me a moment to recover from my shock and remember that this child as well as all children do have parents. I looked to Kikyo, and she held the little boy in her arms now, her glow shinning brighter then before. Was that her child then? If so, who was the guy that Kikyo really had married? But then again I thought mikos couldn't marry at all..

A gust of wind blew through the window and instinctively I started sniffing for the delicious scents that should be there. I frowned again when I couldn't catch anything, but was satisfied with my reaction. At least I still had some sort of inu hanyo instincts and reflexes.

"Kao-chan.. What are you doing?"

I back to the girl. She stared at me curiously, as if trying to figure out something she couldn't explain. But her silver eyes were intense and my mind shot back to the night Inuyasha had turned human and stole my ribbon. I felt heat rush to my cheeks and I ducked under the raven bangs falling over my face. I was _supposed_ to forget that night!

Kikyo laugh filled the room, and the little girl crawled out of my lap. "Come on, Airi-chan." Kikyo called, "Kao-chan must want to leave soon."

"Awhhh!" The little girl whined following Kikyo out the door. Leave? When was it decided that I would leave? When did _I_ decide to leave! I got to my feet, and scrambled out the door a little dizzy as the blood rushed from my head.

"Wait! Er.. Onee-san!" I called, reaching out to Kikyo. She froze, and turned around to face me. Her brows knotted together in confusion, shock, and she wasn't smiling anymore.

"What?" I asked, taken a back by her reaction.

"You haven't called me 'Onee-san' in a long time.." she stated, staring me down. I felt suddenly frightened almost, and quickly back tracked.

"Uh.. I can't call you something else if you want! I mean.. I.. If you don't want me to I'll-"

"No.. It's fine," she said, turning around again and walking to the village, "It was just a surprise to me." She disappeared into a crowd of women, towing the two children along behind her.

I stared after them, frozen in shock. What was going on? Was I delusional, because I was ill? If so I shouldn't be up and Inuyasha should be here yelling at me to go to bed, so.. Why wasn't he here yelling at me? I stepped back and took in my surroundings.

I was in our village. But.. it looked different. The people were different.. some people I did recognized but they seemed much younger now. Instead of sixty they looked twenty maybe. I bit my lip as I studied most of the faces. I knew almost everyone, even the children.. but everyone was too little. Everyone was at least twenty-thirty years too young.

"Hey, Kaori!"

I looked around, surprised that anyone would know me as I was now. How could I be recognizable without my proper hair and eye colour? I noticed a girl running toward me, an annoyed look on her pretty face. I knew her from somewhere.. her face was familiar but there was something.. and I didn't know what that was, that was shocking to me. Maybe it was the patch around her eye that was surprising.

The girl stopped a about a few feet from me, her arms wrapped around a large basket of clothes. Only two pieces in there I was familiar with. My red, gold print kimono I'd been wearing since after the new moon- I blushed crimson at the thought- and a light blue kimono that faded to white at the bottom; with pink sakura petals embroidered on the bottom. That was my favourite kimono to wear from when I was a little girl..

I looked back to the woman, whose one pretty brown eye stared at me intensely-like she was waiting for me to say something. I knew this look from somewhere.. I tried to think back. Back into all the complicated chapters of my intensely confusing life. The first thing that came to my mind what the little girl, and her shocking resemblance to Inuyasha.

Suddenly I wanted to steal that little girl away and hug her and hold her and squish her, and make her my -and not Kikyo's- daughter. A wave of envy and jealousy shot through me as my mind started repeating the same words over and over again: 'She should've been my daughter.' I wanted her to be mine. I wanted that little child, that looked like Inuyasha, belong to me. I took a step in the direction that they disappeared in, my body ready to run and take the little girl away.

But I stopped. I shook my head violently. What was I doing? Why was I thinking about stealing my own sister's child away? That was.. unforgivable. Why would I.. How could I even think about doing such a thing to her. She would be devastated.. But again, my mind forced more words into my head. No.. Kikyo's wouldn't be devastated because Airi was mine. Not Kikyo's..

This time I had to pinch myself to stop me. What the hell was I doing! I closed my eyes, and turned back to the young woman -only opening them again when I was sure I couldn't see anything but her face. The woman looked at me, slightly sympathetic and tired as if she was used to this. That made my mind forget about Airi for a while. Why did this woman look at me like that?

She sighed, and propped the basket onto her hip, looking out into the crowd as I had. I made sure to keep my eyes on her face, so I wouldn't end up running away.

"I know," she sighed, still staring out into the dust village, "I know you're upset about Airi and all. But you and I both know Kikyo would be heart-broken if she knew so.." She looked back to me, her eyes pleading and apologetic, "Please, please, your 21, don't do anything unreasonable. It would ruin them, you know that."

She then sighed, and walked past me into the hut. I was to shocked to move. What.. I was 21? What did she mean? Don't do anything unreasonable? It would break them? Break who? Why was I upset about Airi in the first place? Why was I 21?

I bit my lip again. What had I done? What did I do in the past that made that woman act like that? Nothing made sense about Kikyo, so I'm sure whatever the reason behind all this didn't make sense either but..

I turned and looked back out into the village. Whatever I had done.. probably wasn't something good.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

I sat on the wooden fence, staring out into the meadow. I watched as Airi played with the other kids, and a sudden longing struck my heart. I didn't understand why, but it was there. I wanted to run, take her, and tell her I was her real Mom; that Kikyo had been fake from the very start. But I knew that wasn't true, and I'd never turn on Kikyo.

I sighed, and ran my fingers through the raven hair on my head. I didn't like this. I didn't like being human, I didn't like not being me. If I had been human because a part of Kikyo's soul had been suppressing mine, did that mean that was still happening? And if so, why did my hair and eye colour change?

I took in a deep breath, and clutched the fabric of my pants in my hands. I hadn't realized it before, after I had turned hanyo, how absolutely free I had felt. Now.. now with a part of Kikyo's soul still suppressing mine, I felt like I was locked up in a stuffy room. I felt like invisible chains were holding me in and I couldn't move or get out. How had I lived for 16 years like this without realizing it?

"Kaori?"

My heart stopped for a moment, and I turned to look behind me. Human Inuyasha stood just a few feet away, staring at me curiously, and wonderingly. I blushed scarlet and ducked under my hair again.

_"And you're even cuter when you blush.."_

I bent down lower, trying to make my bangs cover my whole blushing face, but it didn't work. If what he said had been true.. then I must look uber adorable right now. That made me blush even harder.

I listened as he stepped toward me, and lent on the fence beside me, and I frowned. That wasn't right. He supposed to be so quiet and graceful that I couldn't hear him, even as a hanyo. But I heard every step he took. Wrong.

I looked up, the blush no longer on my face, and looked at him. He wasn't looking at me. Ugh, wrong! He should be. I was accident prone, and Kikyo's younger sister who magically turned into a hanyo then back to a human but now with raven hair and chocolate eyes. So.. Why didn't he watch me 24/7 like he should be. Why was he so relaxed that it was okay to look away and trust that I could go 5 seconds with out injuring myself.

Everything, I now noticed, was wrong. It was day time, and still another month until the new moon, so why didn't he have his silver hair? Where had the piercing golden eyes gone? Where was the suspicious questions? There was that worried gaze? Where was the name calling? Where was Shippo, and Meoga? Where was Tetsusaiga, it never left his side. Where was.. was _my_ Inuyasha? This wasn't my Inuyasha.. This was.. this was Kikyo's Inuyasha.

This was.. the man that Kikyo.. had wanted Inuyasha to be. She had wanted him.. wrong..

I swallowed the lump in my throat, and stared confidently out into the field, away from the playing children, "Hello."

The wood moved and creaked under me as he stopped leaning on it. Ugh.. wrong.. He stared at me with a look that matched Kikyo's. Wrong again. I ground my teeth together, and clamped my hands around the wood beside me, digging my nails into the old grey wood. Everything was wrong, wrong, wrong! Why! Why was it wrong? Why was he changed? He wasn't supposed to change!

"You're mad," He stated, staring at me, thoughtfully. I wanted to cry.

"No, really? I hadn't noticed my own anger. Thanks for informing me," I growled sarcastically, folding my arms over my chest and turning to look at Airi. Big mistake. I bit my lip hard trying to draw blood, as I resisted the urge to run away again. What the hell was my problem?

"Oh. I see. You're still upset about that. Even after 6 years?"

I blinked and looked back to him. His weird understanding of this strange feeling inside me had distracted me, just like before with that woman. He looked worried, apologetic, and completely torn. Well.. that was an expression I knew but it looked wrong with him being human. He should have said 'what the hell is your problem?' instead of that.

I stayed silent, not quite sure what to do at this point. He kicked the ground and looked away. "I know that doing that was wrong.. and we both know none of that never meant to happen but Kikyo's happy and that's all that matters right now."

_'I know that doing that was wrong...and we both know none of that never meant to happen' _I felt sick. How many times had I ever heard that on TV? How many freaking times had that been a movie line? And why did that line have to come from his mouth, while it applied to me and him?

I looked away, and covered my face with my hands. Ugh, why? Why? Why? Why? What the hell had I done six years ago in this time? Why did I do that! How could I? Black and white images flashed before my mind, and I wanted to cry as this unknown story played itself out in my head.

In this world where they had married, he had used the Shikon no Tama to become human.. In this world, where Airi was my child. In this world.. I'd betrayed Kikyo and done something stupid behind her back. In this world, Kikyo's real baby had been stillborn and since both of us had delivered on the same day, it was only reasonable to give up mine and make her believe mine was dead.. give up mine so she wouldn't suspect. So she wouldn't see the similarities of Inuyasha in my baby.

What the hell, was I thinking? I jumped off the fence, and grabbed a huge rock off the ground and whipped it into the forest behind me. I screamed so mad at myself, and fell to my knees, silently begging God to kill me. Someone like me doesn't deserve to live.

"Kaori..."

"No!" I shouted as he went to grab my hands. I pulled them again and glared at him through my tears. "Shut up! I hate you! It's all your fault!" I got to my feet, and suddenly wished I was hanyo so I could injure him or something. How could he do that to Kikyo? How could I do that to Kikyo?

"And you know it's your fault!" I shouted, not caring if the tears ran down my face. "And yet you do nothing! You should have done something, or have done nothing in the very beginning!" I knew what happened, even though I didn't remember it. In the beginning.. when he still wasn't used to being human and all the emotions.. I said I had loved him cause apparently I did.. even though he married Kikyo. So.. of course it was my fault really.. I should have stayed silent.. but.. it was so much easier to blame this on him.. he should have loved Kikyo enough to reject me.

I spun around and started to run. I was going to kill myself. I'd find someway to. I had to. I couldn't live knowing I did such a thing. But I felt his hand clamp around my wrist, and I couldn't move.

"Don't.. If you tried to kill yourself again then I don't think she could handle it," he whispered.

I snorted, and pulled my hand from his grasp. "Why didn't you think of what she couldn't handle six years ago?" I growled, I loathed him. I hated him. And I wanted to die. All the feelings were to much for myself.. as I cried, black spots appeared before my eyes, and I welcomed it. Maybe God had granted me my wish. Hopefully I was dying.

Everything went dark, but I stood before him, the background no longer existing.. It was cold here, and soundless. I lifted my hand as an invisible wind blew my hair in front of my face, but hesitated as I noticed something bright red tied around my pinky finger.

It was a ribbon and it stretched across the space between the traitor and I.. only for the other end to be tied to his own.. That was.. the.. red string of fate..

"Baka!"

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

This time when I found myself, everything felt the same as when I'd awoken in that place and I was scared. I was scared to live through that again. Scared of Kikyo. Scared of him. Scared of everyone. They all must have known. Many women must have known for they were there when the switch had taken place. I couldn't live with that shame hanging over me. I'd have to try and leave this world forever. That string couldn't stop me! Just because it meant fate and Inuyasha and I were destined to be together.. that.. that whole situation had been so completely odd and WRONG that must be wrong as well! Inuyasha belonged to Kikyo, not I..

But as I deliberated on how to kill myself, voices filled the space around me.

"What the hell! What happened! Why isn't she waking up, you bastard! If I find out you put poison in there I'll-"

"Inuyasha?" I opened my eyes, and found him, with this hand on Tetsusaiga, glaring at a handsome young monk. He was hanyo.. and his attitude was right. But I didn't know if I still loathed him. My dream had been so real.. it could have been real.. That place might've been in another dimension where things had gone according to plan in the beginning..

I couldn't look at him.. my eyes had only ran past him to see if he had silver hair, and now I looked into a small fire in the middle of the hut.

"Kaori!" he practically shouted, coming up to me, as I sat up, "Are you okay?"

I bit the inside of my cheek and stared at the ground to the left.

"Yes.. I'm fine," I mumbled. I sounded sad.. and I was. But I was also upset and I hated myself. His face grew shocked, I seen it from the corner of my eye, and I got to my feet, heading to the door. "Just.." I said, not really caring if he was worried or not, "Just..leave me alone for a little bit."


	13. Only A Nightmare

A/N: another chapter with mixed feelings, i always write chapters that i kinda hate but like.. i wonder why..? dates: octoberr 5th

* * *

**You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.**

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I Do Not Own Inuyasha

* * *

13. Only A Nightmare

I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling. My vivid blue hair lay around me, and my tail lay limp beside me. My ears hurt and my head pounded from the blasting music coming from my stereo, but that was to keep them from hearing me destroy my room. I turned my head to look at my room. Everything that had been on my dresser I had pushed off and red, blue, pink and purple nail polish soaked into the carpet filling the room with it's nauseating smell.

I had re-nailed my window shut and pushed the bookshelf in front of it, and my dresser, desk and various chairs and books blocked the door. The only thing that was okay was my bed frame and mattress. My blankets were currently working on soaking up the hair spray and various liquid hair things I had never used, from the carpet. And in my rage all my pillows had been ripped to shreds, now leaving a blanket of fluffy white feathers across the room.

I stared at my claws. Mom had forcibly cut them after she could see some claw marks on my arm from every time I had to pinch myself, but they've where already half back. My swords were gone too, after Souta and Jii-chan had caught me looking at them unsheathed, and waving them pointed up toward my neck back and forth. I didn't see the reason for this.. I wasn't going to kill myself.. If I tried here it would be impossible, I healed too quickly.

I looked to my closet doors then. I wonder why they didn't take my mirrors out of my room. I could always break the mirror..

I rolled off the bed and crawled over to my closet, slowly opening the doors. I ran my little finger along the glass, barely scrapping the reflective window. It would be so easy.. I placed my palm against the glass and applied a little pressure. It would be so simple..

"KAORI!" Inuyasha shouted from the hallway, pounding on my blocked door. I bit the inside of my cheek, and pulled my hand away from the mirror, staring at the large barrier of furniture blocking the door. I had hoped that they would be able to break through the furniture before I could do anything which is why I didn't put up a real barrier, but they weren't strong enough. And while Inuyasha was.. he wouldn't break down the door anyway.

"OPEN THE GOD DAMN DOOR, YOU IDIOT!" he hollered, the door shaking with numerous beatings.

"I can't.." I whispered almost silently. I knew he could hear me so I didn't bother speaking any louder.

"YES YOU CAN, YOU BIG STUPID-"

I turned up the stereo on the floor beside me and I couldn't hear him anymore. But seconds later a loud bang shook the house. He was getting mad. The door shook again and I heard the sound of wood breaking. Fear shot through me and I dived back onto my bed, burying my face into the feathers and covered my head with my hands.

Seconds later, pieces of wood flew through the air, missing my head by inches, as my furniture and door became victim to Inuyasha's strength and claws. He grabbed onto the back of my shirt and pulled be back, forcing me onto my knees. For a moment I thought he was gonna kill me, and at that moment I wanted him to.

But all he did was glare at me. But that changed after another moment. He suddenly looked scared and he let go. I wondered what he saw in my face that scared him and I looked behind me to the mirror I had been ready to break. I looked horrible. My face was completely emotionless.. but tears streaked down my face, and my cream completion was tinted with a shade of green. I looked down at my hands. They were cut in many places, from the wood I had been throwing around.

I pressed my lips together slightly and looked up at the silver haired boy. He, too, was looking a little green, and he turned to the window, smashing through the glass when he couldn't pry it open.

Fresh air breezed through the window, and I fell back as my nausea slowly left. That felt nice.. Inuyasha grabbed onto my wrist more gently this time and pulled me back up to look at him. He looked worried. Well.. that was obvious. I had finally gotten better and as soon as I did I'm practically try to kill myself.

"Jeez, what are you doing to yourself?" he muttered. I swayed a bit but kept myself steady.

"I feel sick," I mumbled.

He scoffed but it sounded like half a laugh. "Pfft, that's your fault for not cleaning up that nasty smelling crap. Why do you even have it anyway?"

I bit the inside of my cheek again and looked to the carpet stains and broken bottles.

"It's.. for girls. Here we colour our nails to look nicer." I muttered, rubbing the red nail on my middle finger, from when the vials broke some of the polish fell on my hands..

"You idiots put that nasty smelling crap on your nails for something as stupid as that?"

"I didn't really mind the smell when I was human.. it was tolerable then," I pursed my lips together and looked to him, "Did you take my katanas back from them?"

I knew someone had taken them. Jii-chan had put them back in the well house once I locked myself in my room, but a few days ago I had heard him accuse me of taking them out again.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed, and he folded his arms over his chest, "Yes."

"Can I have them ba-"

"Why? So you can go haywire and try to hurt yourself again?" he shouted. I flinched, and bit my tongue, turning away and laid down on my stomach on my sheet-less bed. I hadn't been trying to hurt myself.. at least not consciously. But they didn't understand.. If they'd seen what I seen then they would want to die too.

"Okay.. go away now," I whispered. I curled myself into a ball facing the other way and closed my eyes. I was hoping to hear him leave before I fell asleep, but my body had shut down as soon as all I could see was darkness.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

This time I didn't dream of anything and when I awoke it was dark outside my window. I sat up and looked around. My room was back to normal. Everything was as it should be before I went insane. There were only a few differences. One, all of the liquid beauty products I never used weren't on my dresser anymore, and two, the feathers from my pillows still floated about. Other then those things everything was normal.

Inuyasha stood by the wall, staring at the pictures I'd painted and taped to the wall when I first came here. He didn't seem to notice me waking up, so I stayed silent and watched as he stared at them in wonder. One clawed hand lifted up to a small picture of a little crying girl kneeling in front of a boy in red pinned to a large tree. The hand pressed against the picture and fell limp back to his side.

His silver ears twitched and he turned his head to me. I tensed and carefully pulled myself up into an upright position. My breathing heavy, and my heart pounding in my chest, my toes touched the carpet floor and I stood to face him. The silk black dress caressed my skin as I moved silently and carefully.

He'd seen my pictures. My secrets. My heart and soul. They all shone brightly through the paintings from childhood. What did he see from them? Had he'd seen far enough, looked deep enough to see the true meanings behind everything, or did he just think they were mere paintings of events that had happened.

He opened his mouth to speak and I waiting for accusations and suspicious questions. But what he said took me by surprise.

"You hate me don't you?"

I swayed. Where was this coming from? What about the pictures? My eyes glanced to the drawing he'd been looking at. It was the same as before.. but it had been so long since I'd looked at it I'd forgotten one figure in it. My sister, Kikyo, was in the picture as well.. dead but looking as though she'd been sleeping. The little girl in that picture was more faced toward her than the boy on the tree.

I looked back to him. Did he think I hated him cause he thought I believed he had killed my sister? My heart gave a painful lurch. Did the think so badly of me? Did he think that I was one to believe such.. such things so easily? Course I didn't think he killed my sister. The situation then had been confusing but I had believed in him. I knew he didn't kill her.. they were tricked.

But.. did I hate him? I remembered back to the few days before I had left, one month ago. Did I hate him then? Inuyasha was staring at the floor, his ears drooping slightly. He was taking my silence as a confirmation that I did hate him.

I clenched my hands into fists.

"Baka!" I growled, "I don't hate you. Why would you even think of such a thing! After all this time! With me being a hanyo like you, if I did hate you, hate you so much as you probably think, then.. then I would've killed you a long time ago!"

He didn't stop being sulky. My words had no effect. I sounded too angry. I ran my fingers through my hair and sighed. But I was angry. But not at him. "Look," I said, trying as hard as I could to keep my voice normal, "I'm not upset at you. I don't hate you. I'm more upset with myself.."

I trailed off remembering the dream. "While I was unconscious I had this.. dream. It seemed real.. and.. and in that dream I had done things I wasn't proud of." Like betraying my sister. Lying to her. Making him hurt her as well.. How long could that have gone on for if it hadn't been just a dream. Would I had really done that..? If she had never died. If he had never been pinned to the tree. If I hadn't been thrown down the well. Would that have been..our real future?

"Tch, all this over a dream?" he scoffed, glaring at me. Yes, I had made him worry over a dream, "A dream? Dreams are not real!"

I stared down at the ground holding my hands together, "Well.. yes I know that.."

"So then why are you making such a big deal?"

"Cause it wasn't just a dream!" I snapped, "It.. it was like a prophecy, a nightmare!"

"I doubt you can see the future."

"It wasn't the future.. it was more like what would have been if things had not turned out the way they had."

"But they turned out this way, obviously."

I exhaled sharply. He was beating me up with logic. That was rare, but he was so good at it. I didn't know what else to say..

"Okay.. fine.." I muttered, "But another thing.. I don't hate you, and I'm.. sorry for running away that time."

His eyes widened as he processed this information, but he quickly recovered. He scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest, "I wasn't worried about that at all!"

"Weren't you?"

I noticed him glance toward the picture on the wall, and he was silent.

I sighed, and reached out my hand to take his. I had to apologize.. I was acting so stupid lately.. Running away, getting sick, over-reacting over stupid dreams.. "Inuyasha.. please forgive me.."

He pulled his hand from mine, "Baka, what're you apologizing for?"

"I'm apologizing for being who I am.." I mumbled, sitting on my bed. I ran my fingers through my hair, and stared the floor down. I hoped it was scared, "I made a promise to myself.. not to run away ever.. and I broke it. I'm always an idiot, I thought it was you who had attacked me, I took Koga's side.. I tried killing you.. I got upset over nothing, didn't bother to hear you out.. I'm just.. not good."

Inuyasha growled, taking a step toward me, "Ugh! Why are you being so hard on yourself?"

"Because it's true!" I protested, "And I know you're not going to list of reasons why it's not so just don't even act like you will!"

He glared at me, and I glared back. He knew, that I knew, that he would never utter what he really thought about me.. and though this hurt, the thought that I would never get a sober truth from him cut deep, I could still use it against him.

"But.. just promise me one thing?" I said, giving up my infuriated act.

"What?"

"Just promise that you'll at least stay my friend no matter what happens?"

He was silent, but his gaze softened and he said, "Alright."

I nodded, staring down at the floor. I then got up and moved toward my drawer, taking out a small piece of red ribbon and scissors.. The material reminded me of my dream but I pushed it back. It was just a silly nightmare after all.. I stepped back to him and motioned for him to hold out his wrist. He complied and I carefully tied the ribbon around it, careful not to make it too tight, but not too loose that it could fall off.

"There, proof that you have agreed," I said.

"You need proof?" Inuyasha scoffed, taking back his hand.

"Well yes, I got tired of you saying one thing then a few moments later you pretended it's never happened." I replied, smirking. He blushed red for a moment then stared at my own bare wrists.

"B-baka! Why do I have to wear this stupid thing but you don't!"

A smile formed on my lips unintentionally and I laughed a little. I was suddenly just.. so happy..

"Fine," I said, grabbing the ribbon and scissors again, "Do mine."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

He held my hands in his own, and pulled me close. His warm breath washed over my face and a heated rush came to my cheeks. His dark eyes stared into mine and I was locked in his intense gaze..

"Kaori-sama.." he whispered, "Would you.. do me the honour of bearing my children?"

"LIKE HELL SHE WILL!"

Miroku let go of my hands and I frowned in disappointment. Inuyasha had managed to kick the young monk in the head, and now they were battling it out.. well actually it was Inuyasha who had the sword out, Miroku was just calmly talking it over as if he wasn't in any real intimidate danger.

"Fuuu, Inuyasha!" I whined, letting my ears droop, "You ruined it, right at the best part too."

Inuyasha lowered the sword and stared at me, "You.. YOU WERE GONNA SAY YES?"

I laughed and tossed my hair over my shoulder, "No. I just wanted to reject him. It would have been amusing."

"Ahh you say that but you do not mean it." said Miroku, getting up close with me again. This time one hand held the small of my back, slowly easing downwards..

I screamed and again the monk was kicked in the head.

At that moment Shippo and Kaede came through the door. Shippo was gleaming, holding a bucket of water and Kaede held a huge variety of monster veggies in her arms.

"So Miroku how come you have joined up with Kaori? I'm sure ye has not yet known the facts for their travels," Kaede asked.

"It is true that I do not know why they are travelling. I had only met up with them while Kaori was ill. But I have noticed that she holds a Shikon shard."

I blinked then I placed my hand to my chest searching for that little silver chain. I felt disappointment wash over me as I realized that.. impostor person had stolen my chain I had got for my birthday, and I placed my hand into my pocket, pulling out the one shikon shard in my hand.

I sighed.

After all this time we only had one? After so many weeks? So many fights and yokai? I was sure I had two.. But as I thought this my skills for sensing the shards came rushing back. It seems as though the more I forgot the more the skill left me. But as it came I sensed a shard somewhere else in the room. In fact two places.

Miroku and Inuyasha.

I jumped to my feet.

"OSUWARI!" I screamed. Inuyasha came crashing down and I jumped over to him grabbing him by the shirt. "WHERE DID YOU GET THE SHARD!"

"I.. I.. I don't know that the hell you're talking about!" Inuyasha stuttered. I growled and reached my hand into his kimono and pulled out the little thing I was looking for.

"Where did you get it?" I hissed, "I knew I had two and I thought it was odd that I now only had one! So, where?"

"He got it from a yokai at the shrine with the spiders" Kaede stated, "I thought you knew so I didn't say anything."

I blinked, so someone had told her about that? "No he didn't. I remember that day. They had only taken our two and then we killed him and got them back.."

Inuyasha's ears twitched.

"You lied to her," I growled, placing a hand on my swords, "Tell me now or I lop off your head."

"Kaori!" Shippo sqeaked, "While you were sick, he was around you a lot. He might have taken one then.."

"YOU TOOK JEWEL SHARDS FROM ME WHEN I WAS SICK! OUSWARI!"

Inuyasha pulled himself off the floor and growled up at me, "Yes! Because if a stupid yokai had come an attacked us while you were unconscious I needed to make sure that I was fucking strong enough to take him down without you getting hurt!"

I placed the second shard in my pocket with the other, "Yeah whatever," I turned to the monk, "You have one too."

He nodded and pulled out a slightly bigger shard for a moment then put it back inside his kimono, "Yes, I am collecting them as well, this is actually three molded into one."

"Why are you collecting them?" Shippo asked curiously, hopping onto my shoulder.

"The reason I am collecting the jewel shards is to seek out and destroy a particular yokai.. That yokai is known as Naraku."

"Naraku.." I whispered. The name sent chills down my spine and I didn't even know what it meant.

"There is a curse placed on my right hand.. that was given to me by Naraku." Miroku explained holding up his right arm, "It is a Kazaana."

"What kind of yokai is this 'Naraku'?" Kaede asked, carefully pouring stew into a number of bowls.

"It has a strong evil energy, and it consumes people.." he said, and I felt myself starting to get lost in this little story, "Beyond that..I don't know."

The trance was broken.

"YOU DON'T KNOW!" Inuyasha shouted. It seems he got sucked in as well.

"Inuyasha shut up," I said. He scoffed and looked away from me.

"Because, " Miroku started up again. "the person who fought with Naraku was actually my grandfather, when he was young. It's an old story from around 50 years ago.. Over the course of several years, there were many fights between them. I am told that every time, Naraku's appearance was borrowed from a different human."

At the last battle, Naraku appeared in the body of a beautiful young woman. My grandfather boasted an enormous amount of houriki but unfortunately.."

I remembered earlier today, "He was a lecher?"

"Quite right," Miroku nodded, "Naraku pierced through all the sealing charms, along with my grandfather's right hand, so that he could run away. 'Now that I've put that Kazaana in your right hand..someday, it'll swallow you whole. Even if you have children..unless you succeed in killing me, that curse will be passed on through the generations and will one day eradicate you family..' Is the last thing he said before disappearing."

He sighed, "The kazaana grows larger every year. And its power has increased as well. Unless I vanquish Naraku in several years time.. I, myself, will be swallowed up as well."

"So.. that means you'll die?" Shippo asked timidly.

"Yes." Miroku nodded once more. "Should it happen, I don't mind. If that is to be my destiny.. However.. there's no way I'm going to leave Naraku alone. The Shikon no Tama should've been taken from this world fifty years ago. But as we know it has appeared again in this time, scattered all over.. Naraku will definitely be collecting the shards and seeking its power.. The reason I know this.. is that fifty years ago Naraku nearly got his hands on the Shikon no Tama.. when he killed the miko who protected it."

_"I did not intend to wake again.." The human breathed. "I did not intend for you to be plagued with the thirst for death as you are now.."_

_"WHY DID YOU BETRAY ME!"_

_"There's no way I'm gonna let you kill me when I haven't done anything wrong!"_

_"Haven't... done anything..? Don't play innocent.. that was you.. You were the one whose claws tore into me! You snatched away the Shikon No Tama.. you deceived me!_"

The words I heard the last time I seen my sister flashed in my head. The memories.. the hatred and pain on her face..

_"..every time, Naraku's appearance was borrowed from a different human."_

Suddenly it all made sense. I had been right all along! I quickly looked around to Inuyasha and Kaede.. they too seemed to be having this same reaction. 50 years ago.. when I was 6.. Naraku dressed up as Inuyasha and hurt Kikyo.. making her believe he betrayed her.. making them hate each other.. ending her life.. I was right!

_"I know that doing that was wrong...and we both know none of that never meant to happen but Kikyo's happy and that's all that matters right now."_

I couldn't tell whether I was happy with Naraku's interference.. or not.. But then I remembered before I was kidnapped by Koga.. When that guy had stolen my shards.. C.. Could that have been Naraku..?

"Oi, Miroku!" Inuyasha shouted grabbing the monk and shaking him. "You say this Naraku or whatever, it can borrow any form, right! What about now! What disguise is he using now?"

"Of course.. If I knew that.. I would have found him out and done away with him already," Miroku stated as if that were the most obviously thing on this planet.

Inuyasha let go of him and glared at the floor. He was angry and upset. He was having the obvious reaction.. but me.. I was just sitting here.. happy with my sister's death. Why am I happier that she's dead.. instead of being happy that if everything had gone according to plan she would be alive and happy with children.. Maybe one of them would have been mine but why was I so selfish and horrible?

"I.. If ye continues to collect the jewel shards," Kaede said, "Ye shall definitely come across Naraku won't ye? So why not collect them together?"

"Actually.." I murmured, "I think I have already come across Naraku.."

"What!" the room gasped.

"Ahh, well you remember when I was telling you about the time before I was kidnapped by Koga, what Shippo told you, that an 'Inuyasha' person had attacked me and taken the jewel shards..? I've been thinking about how similar that was to.. to Kikyo's situation.. and I've been wondering if it was the correct assumption and apparently.. it's true.."

"Well, that settles it! Ye must join forces," Kaede announced, "Ye are both after the same man!"

"Hmm.. I find that I dislike getting deeply involved with other people.. _But_ if Kaori wants me to join in.."

Everyone glanced my way. "Okay.." I said weakly, not exactly sure what I was supposed to be feeling.

"Well if that's the case then, Kaori.." He came up to me and once again held my hands in his. "Please wont you bear my child."

Inuyasha choked, finally distracted from the floor, "Wha..."

"If by chance I cannot complete my revenge against Naraku, when I die.. it is essential I entrust that duty onto a child. And Miss. Kaori-sama having a child with your yokai abilities and beauty and my holy spiritual powers must be capable of doing the deed I may not be able to fulfil."

"DIDN'T WE ALREADY GO THROUGH THIS!" Inuyasha shouted, jumping between me and Miroku. "GIVE ME A BREAK YOU LECHEROUS BOUZU!"

"I'm a Houshi." Miroku corrected.

"If you continue to bother Kaori with your weird perverted requests again.." Inuyasha growled.

"Oh, sorry to intrude." Miroku said, his face full of some sort of understanding. "She appeared to be a companion. I knew you had known each other since Kaori was just a little girl but as you have fallen in love with Kaori-sama.."

Inuyasha choked again. "Whaa.."

"I am wrong?" Miroku asked.

"Why you.. You.. you stupid fool!" Inuyasha shouted, his face slight red, "I'm only using her as a jewel detector!"

Suddenly anger pulsed through me. "Oh reallly?" I hissed. Inuyasha yelped and spun around. "I'm just a jewel detector, eh?"

"K.. Kaori.." he sputtered.

"Ouswari!" I shouted. I then spun on my heel and in a huff of fury, I rushed from the room.

"'Jewel Detector'! Keh! I am not anyone's jewel detector!" I muttered angrily to myself as I stomped through the village, "I'm not anyone's anything! If he thinks I'm giving him the jewel once it's put back together then he's wrong!"

I came to a water well and splashed my face with water and ran my wet fingers through my hair. How stupid. After all that has happened he still was rude to me in public.. He shouldn't have called me nothing but a jewel detector. I was more then that.. wasn't I?

I sighed and stood up. Eyeing the red ribbon on my wrist. Now really wasn't the time to start stupidity again. First he didn't trust me, then he thought I was weak, then I transformed, then I ran away, got sick, had that dream, and now this? I should stop it before it becomes something even worse.. stop this idiotic cycle of stress and pain.

I turned back towards the village mumbling a little song to myself. I let my mind wander through the past few months. I was so conflicted. I wanted to make life peaceful and yet it's always me who over-reacts. I'm always the one who runs away. The one who is quiet, never really speaks my mind. Why was Inuyasha's strange affectionate behaviour such a problem for me? Well of course it was strange but.. why did it have to keep bothering me.. and in my dream.. why the hell did I end up falling for him and betrayed my sister?

I shook my head. I should stop thinking about that, it was just a dream, remember? Only a nightmare..


	14. Battle Of The Oni Drawings

A/N ~ (09-30-10): Yay for updates! I hate writing battle scenes let me tell you! Which sucks cause Inuyasha is just packed with them. But anwyays the date of this chappiter is: October 12

* * *

**You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.**

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I Do Not Own Inuyasha

* * *

14. Battle Of The Oni Drawings

"This is atrocious."

We looked upon a gruesome battle scene. Bloody and dissembled corpses lay everywhere in a lake of their own blood. There seemed to be at least 200 of them, and the rustic sent of their blood mixed with ink made me sick to my stomach.

It had been a week since Miroku joined up with us, a week of aimless wanderings with absolutely no progress. Inuyasha was getting restless, I was getting bored, and I was sure, Miroku was starting to doubt our abilities.

"Their bowels were torn out without exception.. wasn't a battle was it?" Miroku mumbled to himself.

"Was it a yokai..?" Shippo squeaked holding his nose.

"Probably," I replied.

Miroku held a hand close to his face and bowed slightly. "Rest in peace.. This was not the work of a low level yokai. Looks like they had a shikon fragment, doesn't it..?"

The small shards in my pocket grew heavy at these words. If we could catch this demon.. then we'd get another shard.. Finally we were making some progress.

"Oi, Miroku!" Inuyasha barked, "I'll tell you this now.. I don't feel like cooperating with you. So I'm not gonna hand over the fragments."

"'First come, first serve' is what you're saying, right?" Miroku asked with a sly grin.

Inuyasha growled.

We parted shortly after. It seems the monk wasn't comfortable with the commitment of being in a group, or maybe it was because this group consisted of yokais of some sort.. or maybe he really did doubt our abilities.. But whatever the reason I was sad to see him go. It was thanks to him after all that I recovered from my illness. And even if he was perverted, he provided that small distraction I needed from thinking about the situation between me and Inuyasha.

So now we ran as fast as we could, Shippo sitting comfortably in my backpack, following the scent of ink. We didn't speak.. well except for the one time we had to stop because Inuyasha had gotten too excited and attacked an innocent man carrying rolls of parchment. It turned out the man was just delivering a message, a feudal era mailman. After being sat.. a few times.. Inuyasha gave up on harassing the poor man and we went back on our way.

I didn't know what to say to him.. The memories of the new moon, the night in my bedroom, my eyes wandered down to the red ribbon tied around his wrist, barely visible under his bright red kimono sleeves.. it all bounced around inside my head and I wondered what he thought of it.. But at the same time I didn't want to know. It could turn out to be another disastrous situation and I was trying my best to avoid those.

Inuyasha jumped off course. I growled under my breath and ran after him. He was probably at it again. Going to harass another innocent human. But I smelt the ink as well and of course I was just as curious and suspicious so really I couldn't complain.

We reached a road where a short, balding, bug eyed man was grumbling to himself, staring at a piece of parchment with a drawing of a beautiful girl on it.

"Ahh.. soon she will become mine.." I heard him sigh.

Inuyasha grabbed the man by the collar, giving him his best dirty look. The man yelped and stuffed the page in his kimono.

"Hey there," Inuyasha growled, "Let's step aside and have a talk, okay?"

"Wha.. What do you want! I.. I'm just an artist!" the man stuttered.

I walked towards him and the old artist's eyes watched me the whole time. As I got closer I noticed a familiar stench mixed in with the ink.

"He reeks of human blood," I stated, staring carefully at the man. Was such a human this weak capable of the murder of 200 samurai? It didn't seem likely.

"Le.. let go of me!" he shouted pulling away.

"You wont get away!" Inuyasha called after him.

The artist swung around with an evil smile and ripped his kimono shirt apart revealing a large three fingered yokai arm. The arm shot out towards us and we jumped out of the way just before we were struck. As I looked up again, the arm had emerged fully from the artist and was now a giant of a creature, dark green, with large fangs and bright yellow eyes.

"Oni..!" Inuyasha gasped. The artist scurried into a boat at the river a few feet off. The oni was just a distraction.

I growled and ran towards the river. He wasn't going to get away. Human, yokai, oni, what ever he was, he was obviously the man we were looking for. But just as I had reached the river bank, a large golden staff came down in front of me, missing my legs by inches. I yelped in surprise and I heard Inuyasha swear behind me.

I whipped around with my hands on my swords, but Inuyasha was faster. By the time I had turned fully around the oni was destroyed with Tetsusaiga. I huffed with frustration, but it was a bad idea. The oni bled black blood and since Inuyasha had rushed right in, he was now completely drenched in it.

Shippo gasped just as the scent hit me and suddenly his little fingers were covering my nose. The scent was of ink and blood, but it was fresh and very strong. I swayed dangerously on the spot but thanks to Shippo I had only gotten a small whiff and soon later the dizziness passed.. But Inuyasha unfortunately didn't have a Shippo to save him from the scent. He passed out 3 seconds later.

It was a huge annoyance and took a long time before Inuyasha was well enough to stand up again, and what else was an annoyance was carrying him a large distance to where the scent wasn't that strong anymore.. but some how little me and Shippo had managed. We were now in a village making our way to the lords house.. or was it the princess's? I wasn't really paying attention to anything but the familiar voice I heard amongst the few very unfamiliar.

"As an expression of gratitude.. Would you please bear my child?"

I sighed, as I came to a window, "You're a disgusting man, Miroku."

The monk turned around. He was holding the princesses pale hands in his own as they knelt upon the floor. "Oh! Kaori-sama!"

"Kaori! Are you really gonna rely on this lecherous bastard, you idiot!" Inuyasha shouted.

I growled and kicked him in the head. "Shut up, dog."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

"A suspicious painter, you say?" Miroku asked, sipping soup from a dark red bowl.

"Well.." I replied, laying on my stomach dangling my long tail over the top of my head so I could see the snow white tip. "It wasn't like he was a yokai or anything.. but he was controlling a pretty big oni.. which came from his stomach, by the way."

"Hm.. I see.. That painter could be borrowing the power of a shikon fragment," Miroku said, thinking aloud to himself.

"I dunno, I couldn't tell, the scents of the blood and the ink were extremely distracting.."

"You need to concentrate to sense them?"

"Well I dunno, I mean, sometimes I can on my own, but other times I need to be aware of what I'm looking for.. I think it's because my yokai abilities interfere with the miko, and it sometimes overrides the other.. cause you know to be a miko you need to be 100% pure and all.."

"Inuyasha aren't you gonna join in on the conversation?" Shippo asked from Inuyasha's shoulder, bringing my attention to him. He scoffed. He had his back turned to us, sitting on the far end of the room. He'd been glaring out into the dark forest for the whole conversation, wallowing in jealousy. It was obvious it was jealousy.. the boy was practically dripping in its sent.

I sighed, "How stupid.."

"What's the matter Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.

"Shut up!" Inuyasha snapped.

"He's just jealous," I sang.

"I di.. I'm not jealous of anything!" Inuyasha shouted, turning fully around to face me.

"Is that so?" Miroku grinned. He took my hands once more, and I groaned inwardly to myself, "Then that means you, Kaori-sama, must have been searching desperately for me."

I rolled my eyes and pulled my hands from his grasp. "Well not really. You remember I knew you had a jewel shard? Well you see, I was looking around for you as your scent was around, so my sensing abilities were working, and as we were passing through I sensed two more shards on you.."

"Eh."

"Wha.." Inuyasha jumped up and stalked towards us, cracking his knuckles.

"Osuwari."

"Kaori!" Inuyasha hissed. "Why have you kept quiet until now?"

"I collected these on my own," Miroku stated, "Taking them would make you a thief."

"So?"

"Uhmm.. Hoshi-dono.." A well dressed man peeked into the room, looking sweaty and nervous. I noticed his dark eyes flickered toward Inuyasha, Shippo and I, before he gulped nervously. Pssh scared of a few yokai?

"About your plan to protect the princess.. have you forgotten?" The same girl from before stood beside the sweaty human looking shy and worried.

"Ah! Please don't worry!" Miroku said, a little too enthusiastically, "We'll help. We'll help."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

"Night after night, the messenger yokai appear. The princess is taken to a place she doesn't know of.." Miroku explained keeping his eyes on the pale beautiful woman before us. "So then the yokai's master, who we should defeat, is in that place. And for that purpose, the princess must be taken there again tonight."

The princess sighed.

"We'll defiantly save you, don't worry," Miroku reassured.

"Okay.."

So now we sat in a large bush staring out at the sky, waiting for something to happen. For some reason.. I felt like we were really waiting for nothing.. Miroku looked over my shoulder and noticed Inuyasha glaring into the darkness.

"Hn? Inuyasha you're going to assist in this job as well?" The monk asked.

"Keh! It's not that," Inuyasha growled back.

"The scent we picked up from the oni and the artist is here.. and it's getting stronger," I informed him, "That's really the only reason we're here.. sorry."

Miroku sighed in disappointment but said no more.

But then at that moment a large dark mass crossed the moon. I noticed the size of it.. the moon I mean. It was full.. or so it seemed to be. Noticing this a strange nervousness erupted in the pit of my stomach and I swallowed. I had yet to have a human transformation yet.. and I've been hanyo for every stage of the moon.. except full..

Something flicked the side of my head, and I glared at Inuyasha.

"You're dazing off.." he stated not looking at me, pulling his hand away from my head. I growled silently but said nothing, and went back to the dark mass over the moon. It was a large group of oni, in the middle of the group was a large wooden carriage, much like the one Inuyasha's fake mother had been in. The group of oni stopped at the princess room and pulled her from it and into the carriage.

"Hime.." they whispered, "Come, come, tonight as well.."

We followed the dark mass of yokai to a small hut. The hut was made of dark wood and beside it, a large tree grew strong. The tree was bare, but that might have been because of the large amount of demonic energy surrounding it. The wind howled and pulled at my hair as it rushed past. I had tied my hair into a pony-tail so it didn't get in my face but the tugging from the wind was still annoying, especially since my hair was so long and heavy.

Although I didn't show it, I was freaking out inside for Shippo. Instead of using the real princess, at the last minute Shippo had insisted on helping so we let him transform into the pale beauty and take her place. This was overall safer for the princess...but completely life threatening to the little kitsune.

But before I could continue on worrying, I felt a evil force grow stronger behind the barrier of dark energy. Dark thick smoke shot from it at an alarming speed into the sky, but then transformed into a group of oni and yokai, similar to the ones carrying the carriage before but still different...They looked like..

"Drawings..!" Miroku gasped, staring up at them.

"That guy has a spell controlling those oni he's drawn..." Inuyasha said roughly. "However, these oni aren't a bluff."

"Heheh, devour them for me!" The painter's voice hissed from somewhere behind the barrier.

Inuyasha and I shot forward, him taking out Tetsusaiga, and I taking out the long double katanas. They pulsed in my hands as if they held a heart beat and I smiled inwardly to myself. It felt nice to have these back. I'd only used them once before and as a human, but as a hanyo...I felt more in control...

"Miroku if you're scared you can go back," Inuyasha called.

Miroku scoffed, "Not a chance! This is my job!"

We crashed into the group of oni and the fight started. Inuyasha slashed through them roughly, and I couldn't see what Miroku was doing, but as for me...well I as I was more inexperienced I was a bit more messy and clumsy. But as we fought and as their dark blood stained my clothes, I started to feel dizzy...I remembered Shippo and how he saved me from passing out...

I suddenly felt sick to my stomach and dizzy as hell. In a second I was on my knees holding my head and covering my nose. I was close to passing out I could tell the smell too strong for my acute senses.. I glanced toward Inuyasha he was in the same situation.. I didn't know why I had hoped for anything different, but I had.

I looked around my searching for Miroku but as I did an oni on a wicked horse ran toward me, it's sword unsheathed. I yelped and closed my eyes waiting for the pain but it never arrived. I cracked them open a bit. Miroku was standing in front of me fighting of the oni on his own with his staff. But it was to hard of a job for just one person...

"Kaori get over to Inuyasha and stay behind me!" he demanded. I did as I was told and weakly but quickly ran to Inuyasha's side. Miroku followed, "I'm going to use the Kazaana!"

Suddenly a harsh sucking wind came from no where, just as Miroku had pulled the dark beads around his arm off. My hair whipped around my face and I clutched the grass below. The oni all around us were pulled into the monk's right hand like it was a vacuum cleaner.

"Amazing..." I breathed watching. I felt Inuyasha tense at my side and glanced toward him. He was staring as well in shock but he still seemed slightly aggravated.. like he didn't want to be saved by such a guy.

I heard Miroku groan and whipped around to look at him again. As I did he threw the beads over his arm again and collapsed to the ground. "This is the first time I've sucked up so much evil at once.." he panted, "It's somewhat tiring.."

The hut groaned, and our attention was drawn back to it. Now what was going to happen? A three headed snake burst from the roof with the artist on the middle and longest of them. The coward was running.

I felt a heat inside myself grow and suddenly I was on my feet racing toward the oni drawing. I heard the guys behind me call my name but I didn't pause. The jewel shard...where was it? I had to get it... I scanned the creature quickly then locked my vision on a small bottle of ink which glowed. There...

I leaped up and latched myself onto the snake's large body. I inched myself up refusing to lose. I had to do this...This was my chance...The painter noticed me. He tossed a few sheets of drawn on parchment at me which grew into the oni drawings. I panicked. I couldn't cut them, kill them..if I did the blood would knock me out. Ugh maybe if I had a club or something...

My katanas pulsed in my hands and as they had once before transformed into the weapon I wish I had. They had merged and became one heavy onyx black club. I smirked. Well that's convenient. I started whacking and pounding the oni with it, pushing my way through the crowd. It was just like playing whack-a-mole at the carnival.

I reached the artist, all the oni behind unconscious and knocked to the ground many feet below. The man yelped. I smiled and let the club fall back into their original form. "Awe all out of your little drawings?" I cooed sarcastically. He gulped. "Just hand over the Shikon shard..."

"Heh you idiot!" He crackled. "You've just stepped into another of my drawings!"

One of the snake's heads closes to me twisted around, it's mouth growing with fire. Before I could think the fire was upon me. I screamed as it burnt my skin but I didn't let go. At my scream pieced the air something inside me pulsed, maybe it was my heart beating it's last, but suddenly a single ring of bright blue flashed from me, it pushed the fire from me, and destroyed it in the same moment.

I growled and wiped the tear that had been trickling down my face, "You bastard..."

"Why.. Why won't you die!" The painter stuttered nervously. He was all out of tricks now.

"I don't plan on dying because of you." I hissed. My hands still holding the katanas twitched as I fought with my anger and desire to kill this man.

He noticed for he started crying. "Please! D-don't kill me! Anything but my life!" He held out the glowing bottle. "T-take this! Without it I can not longer control the oni and am nothing but a lowly human."

The corner of my mouth twitched and suddenly my anger was extinguished. There was no way I'd kill this man.. I put my katanas back in their sheath and muttered curses to myself. How irritating.

But as I did this the artist laughed and at that moment I was rushing towards the ground the two shorter snake heads rushing toward me..Their fangs ripped through my skin. I wanted to scream again but my voice wouldn't come. Then suddenly I was falling once more and the fangs were no longer there. Warm arms grabbed onto me and set me on the hard ground.

"Damnit Kaori!" I heard Inuyasha growl, "Wait up you bastard!" I heard retreating footsteps and opened my eyes which had closed on their own due to the pain. I saw Inuyasha sprinting toward the artist, his claws flexed. I looked past the hanyo and to the man. He clutched the bottle close to his chest but something was happening...Ink was gushing out from the top on it's own accord...

"Wait!" I shouted, "Let go of the bottle!" But as the words left my lips the ink burst from it's container and the spit slashed through the man's arm like a blade. He dropped the bottle and fell into the puddle of ink. It travelled over his body, quickly dissolving or eating every part of him. He was gone before Inuyasha could reach him.

I stood up despite the pain and rushed towards him. Miroku followed.

"Devoured by ink.." Miroku muttered to himself. Was it just me or did he talk to himself a lot?

"Why though?" I asked.

"It's the blood," Inuyasha explained, not looking at me, "The ink was made from people's blood.. It came out to absorb the artist's."

A small piece of parchment fell to the ground and I caught it in my hands. It was a drawing of the princess.

"What a fool," said Miroku looking at it from over my shoulder. "It mustn't be possible to draw beautiful things with such tainted ink."

I sighed and let the drawing go, and reached into the pool of ink to take the shard from it. As my finger touched the thick black substance, it turned to crystal clear water, I blinked a little but shrugged it off, miko's could purify things couldn't they?

"So who do you think should have this?" I asked, turning toward the other boys. They both gawked at me, frozen and silent.. "What?"


	15. Sesshoumaru Returns

A/N ~ (09-30-10): Kay so like, my internet is being VERY strange, no pages work, not even my msn! Nothing works cept this site! FANFIC YOU ARE MAGGIICCC! anyways dates: october 13th (I thinkk)

* * *

**You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.**

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I Do Not Own Inuyasha

* * *

15. Sesshoumaru Returns

I opened my mouth and chomped down greedily on the yummy homemade california roll, "Kyaa!" I squealed, "These are so good! I had forgotten how good they were!"

We were sitting in the middle of a large wooden room, the bright midday sun's rays filtering gently through the light paper walls. It made the room warm despite the cold temperature outside, and hot, fresh food sat on tiny wooden tables before us.

Inuyasha scoffed as he carefully re-bandaged my arms. It was obvious he was sour about me running away, and almost getting myself killed last night, but he hadn't yelled at me or even lectured.. This was completely bizarre.. and I almost wanted to ask him about it, but I was nervous of starting more arguements.

"What?" I asked innocently,"Don't you think so?" I shoved a piece of fish into his mouth before he could respond, "Isn't it great to be inside again?"

He swallowed it and growled at me, "Well I'm _so _sorry we had to stay outside all the time."

"It's not that outside is bad.. but look at all the yummy food!"

"You sound like a fatass, talking about food like that," he informed me.

"So?" I said, continuing to stuff my face, "What's your point? I can't remember the last time I've eaten, all we do is run around, sleep, fight then get all healed and run again! I know I don't need to eat as often anymore cause I'm half-demon but I would still like to have the opportunity too!"

The sliding door opened before Inuyasha could argue and Miroku stepped into the room looking fatigued.

"Thank you for putting up those sutras!" an aged man exclaimed from outside.

"Now then," Miroku sighed, closing the door in the man's face, "shall we have a good rest?"

I shook my head, my cheeks full, "No.. eating.."

Miroku smiled at me as if I were a young child, "Of course."

"Oi, Miroku," Inuyasha called, "I really can't make sense of it..."

"Yes?" Miroku asked.

"When it's time to look for a place to sleep, why do we always end up at the best looking mansion in the area, which just so happens to have ominous clouds above it?"

Miroku sighed, "Haven't you ever heard of a 'convenient life'?"

"What a liar," I sang, as I popped a sushi in.

"Can't you stop eating?" Inuyasha exclaimed.

"No," I said simply. His ears turned to the sides and he glared at me like he was just gonna give up on life. I grinned, but as I did my head started to pound. It felt like a heart was beating inside my skull. It got worse and worse and I set down my plate, reaching for my bag.

I felt another shikon shard, it was coming toward us at an alarming pace... But this migraine... oh god, why now?. "Inuyasha, someone with a shikon shard is coming.." I hissed.

Inuyasha sniffed the air as I reacted into my bag and pulled out a Advil pill and took one. He made is way toward the door, Miroku and Shippo following as I swallowed the pill. Then I hopped up and followed. Right outside the mansion was a large yokai. It was a shade of dark mossy green and bigger then any house. It had two blood red eyes, and three fingered claws. Fangs leered down upon us, and on the yokai's shoulder sat a very familiar man.

"Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha snarled. I was shocked to find myself staring at his older brother. Hadn't Sesshomaru died that time when we first got the Tetsusaiga!

In a second Sesshoumaru was inches from Inuyasha's face and the hanyo jumped back. Shippo ran away bawling and I raced after him. We sat in a near by bush crouching low to the ground. Shippo was scared senseless, which I'm sure makes sense since he had never encountered this man, nor this ogre thing.. I was only here, cause my headache.. It wasn't fading, it was getting worse the closer Sesshoumaru came.

"Hmph," Sesshoumaru scoffed, "Your reflexes are as slow as ever, Inuyasha."

"What the hell are you here for! Aren't you supposed to be dead?" Inuyasha asked, his claws flexed.

"Enough with the pathetic questions," the elder brother demanded, "My business is with the Tetsusaiga you carry."

"Still haven't learned your lesson, huh?"

"An acquaintance of yours?" questioned Miroku, popping up beside me in the bush.

"That's Inuyasha's older brother," I informed him quietly.

"But he's not half-demon!" Shippo peeped.

"Well then he's more like his half brother," I said, "He's after the Tetsusaiga.. again.. Ugh, how stupid. He can't even touch the sword so why the hell is he still trying?"

"Draw, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru demanded, "I'll allow you, at least, a mockery of resistance."

"Oh shut up!" Inuyasha growled pulling his father's fang from the sheath, "This time, you'll get more than just your arm lopped off!" He swung the sword at his brother, but Sesshoumaru was to fast and leaped from its path.

"Hmph. As I thought.." said the silver haired yokai as he landed, "Inuyasha you haven't mastered the Tetsusaiga, have you?"

"What did you just say?" Inuyasha spat, dashing towards him again, "Don't mock me, bastard!" He went to swing the sword down upon his brother with one hand, but Sesshoumaru caught his arm and he was locked in place.

"Your sword form is completely open.. The sword is throwing you around," A soft crackling sound filled the air and Inuyasha hissed in pain. Sesshoumaru was using his poison claws to dissolve his arm.. "If you don't let go of the sword, I'll met your arm off."

"Ugh...before that happens..." Inuyasha growled grabbing the handle with his other hand, "I'll slice you in two!"

Again Sesshoumaru avoided his assault, "Annoying guy.." Suddenly the large fluffy boa around his neck shot out and knocked Tetsusaiga out from Inuyasha's hands.

"Damnit!" The hanyo swore, running toward the he obviously was no match for Sesshoumaru's speed and the elder brother got their first. The yokai grasped the hilt and swung the sword in the hanyo's direction.

"Let me show you, little brother..." Sesshoumaru hissed, "The destructive power of the Tetsusaiga."

"Jaken!"

"Certainly, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken squeaked, appearing on top of the ogre's shoulder, out of harms way. The large ogre moved its arm toward the large mountainous hill, then smacked the hill hard, causing a deep rumble to echo around in the earth.

Then at that moment, thousands upon thousands of yokai came rushing from the trees all reaching towards the sky.

"Look now, Inuyasha.." Sesshoumaru mumbled, "One swing..." He waved the sword at the yokai, "destroy a thousand yokai!" In a flash everything was destroyed. The mountain crumbled beneath the destructive flash of light, and the yokai dissolved to pieces.

"Not only the yokai but even the mountain has disappeared!" Miroku gasped.

"You've waiting long enough Inuyasha, now it's your turn," Sesshoumaru smirked, "Your blood will be rust on Tetsusaiga's blade."

I jumped from the bush to land between the two brothers. I went to say something but I was so mad that when I opened my lips the only thing that came from them was a low and vicious growl. I could feel my ears pin themselves back and my claws were flexed. There was no way I was gonna let him kill Inuyasha..

"Hnn? You.. You're that girl from last time," Sesshoumaru muttered, pointing the sword at me. My head throbbed, "You want to die together? Isn't that lovely."

I felt a hand clamp over my tail and pull me back. Inuyasha put his arm in front of me, glarnig at his older brother, as the blush creeped into my face.. "Get back, Kaori. This bastard wouldn't even hesitate before killing a girl."

But then suddenly Miroku was beside us as well, "I cannot keep silent any longer."

"Stay out of this, Miroku!" Inuyasha snapped.

"Inuyasha, it's impossible to do it alone."

"Shut up! What the hell! Don't stand in front of me!"

"I shall deal with the rest!"Jaken shouted with an amused laugh, "Sesshoumaru-sama shouldn't have to trouble himself."

"Perhaps so. Let's see what happens," said Sesshoumaru.

"I'm going to smash you into mince meat!" Jaken shouted. The ogre brought his hand down upon us as if to squish us like bugs.

"I'll take care of this!" said Miroku quickly removing the beads around his arm.

"Keh! I'll leave the small fry to you then," Inuyasha agreed. Small fry? This guy was completely huge and enormous!

"Face judgement!" Miroku shouted as he unleashed the kazaana. I saw Sesshoumaru's yellow eyes widen in shock and he plunged the Tetsusaiga into the ground. The kazaana quickly started sucking up the ogre and I hopped it would take the little toad along as well.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Sesshoumaru throw something into the air. From it burst hundreds of large bees. Their heads were black, their eyes red, the stripes were yellow, and dark purple and they were big as any cat. They flew into the kazaana along with the ogre and I heard Miroku yelp. He threw the beads over his arm and gasped for Inuyasha to take over as he fell to the ground.

Inuyasha quickly slashed through the remaining bugs, and I ran over to Miroku. "What's wrong!"

"It seems as though the insects poison got to me.." The monk muttered. I glanced at his arm then quickly pulled my bag off my back and started digging it for anything that could help.

"That was a quite interesting show..." Sesshoumaru chuckled. "But enough...Die!" He raised the sword and it that instant a new battle had begun. I growled as the area we sat became more and more dangerous every second. Ugh, why did fighting have to be so messy? I quickly threw an arm around Miroku and ran toward somewhere more safe and secluded but still near.

"Shippo watch him for me!" I demanded.

I then took off and watched the battle from the sides carefully moving in silent trying to find a way to get in and help. Inuyasha was now using the scabbard to fight but it wouldn't last long. I pulled my katanas from their sheath and thought of a bow and arrow. They transformed into the same silver bow and diamond arrow as with Yura, except now a bunch of arrows now retested upon my back. I smiled and leaped into the air. The only way to get him was from an aerial attack. I shot the arrow mid-jump and on its own accord struck the Tetsusaiga.

At first I was scared since that's not what I had intended, but there must be a reason for the arrows having a mind of their own... The arrow that struck dissolved as it hit but it's effect was still there. The arrow had undone the transformation on Tetsusaiga. The brother's looked towards me as I landed upon a small cliff and I swiftly reloaded my bow.

Upon Sesshoumaru's left arm..I could see a fragment and as my eyes landed on it the heart in my head beat harder and harder. There must be something about that arm..which made him able to wield Tetsusaiga.. but why was my head hurting.. was it because of the shard? But.. Never before had my head hurt when one was near.. I noticed the soft glow from this shard wasn't the average white or pink.. in fact it was a greyish purple.. Was it tainted?

"Hit his left arm." I whispered and shot another arrow. But even for my moving arrows he was too fast and stepped out of the way before it had hit him. I grabbed another arrow, my hand shaking from the pain in my skull.

"Don't Kaori! Run!" Inuyasha shouted.

But as he said it Sesshoumaru was already on top of me. I gasped and faltered, stumbling back. I tried to confuse him by lunging to the side and leaping from the cliff but he got me cornered once more. His fingers glowed sickly green and he just said one word, "Die."

"Your opponent is me you bastard!" Inuyasha shouted, his claws making contact with the brother's skin just seconds before Sesshoumaru was to strike. Sesshoumaru leaped back his cheek bleeding as Inuyasha landed in front of me. "Damnit, missed."

Sesshoumaru chuckled. "You're faster when that girl is involved."

"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed. "Cut the useless chatter! That's enough Kaori. Go."

"But!" I whined. He glared at me and I sighed. "Finee.." I leaped of the small cliff and landed by Miroku who seemed to be beating the hell out of Jaken. For that I was happy and I grabbed another Advil from my bag.. I really couldn't take this much longer.

"I've got it now, Sesshoumaru." I heard Inuyasha say. "A yokai like you shouldn't be able to hold the Tetsusaiga. But, you are holding it now. That left arm, it's a human's isn't it? That arm is bound with a shikon fragment. In other words," the cracking of knuckles. "if I rip off that arm, you won't be able to touch the Tetsusaiga at all. It'll come with the fragment as well! Killing two birds with one stone!"

"Heh that is if you can even touch my left arm." Sesshoumaru smirked.

Once more the battle continued and this time I really was stuck on the side lines. I twitched in frustration. I wanted to help so bad.. my yokai nature neeeeddedd to fight.. and.. I had to get rid of that Shikon shard..

"Come on spit it out!" Miroku growled shaking Jaken by the shoulders. "Who did you get that nest of insects from!"

"I really don't know!" Jaken whimpered. "He was wearing a baboon skin, hiding his face. He called himself Naraku!"

The name of my sister's killer turned my blood cold. Naraku?

"Where has he gone!" Miroku was shouting now.

"Heh, I don't know." Jaken sneered. "And anyway, it'll be of no use even if you find out. Because you've absorbed so much of the poison, you'll be dead before long!"

I snarled and kicked the little imp as hard as I could. He hit the cliff face a few yards off and then slid down to the ground painfully. Then I turned back to Miroku and grabbed some medication from my bag. "Here Miroku this should help, do you think you can drink it?"

"I can if.. you do it mouth to mouth.." He gasped.

"Okay, Shippo you know what to do!" I said rubbing my forehead.

"Er..on second thought I'd better do it myself." Mirkou said quickly turning away from the kissy faced kitsune. I whipped around with my bow and arrow and watched the fight once more. I couldn't just sit here... I shot another arrow which because of the quick movements of the fighting, has only pierced Sesshoumaru's armour.

I growled. This was really unacceptable. But Inuyasha took Sesshoumaru's minor distraction and managed to land a successful attack on him.

"What a pain. You and that girl together." Sesshoumaru growled. He grabbed Inuyasha by the neck and threw him. But in my direction.. As he crashed into me I felt the wind get pushed from my body and as we hit the ground everything started to get dark. I struggled against it.. but I must've hit my head.. I couldn't see anything and my eyes closed instinctively but even though I couldn't see, I could still hear.. faintly. It was like listening while someone put ear muffs over your head.

I felt a warm hand touch my cheek and hold it there for 1.. 2.. 3.. 4.. 5 seconds. Then the hand was gone and I heard a growl.

"This is as far as you go." I heard Sesshoumaru chuckle. "Go to hell along with that girl."

But I wasn't dead...

"Sesshoumaru, you bastard!" Inuyasha spat. "How dare you do this to Kaori.."

I heard more talking but the ear muffs power were getting to strong. I just heard who was saying what. I tried to move my arms to take away the ear muffs but my arms wouldn't move.. Trapped inside my own body.. again..

I heard yelling, commands, protesting voices then finally the noises of battle again. Someone warm grabbed me and went to pick me up but a loud bang and the sound of falling rocks forced that person to let go and shield me with their own body. I heard Inuyasha shout something again and then I heard Miroku respond. The monk then picked me up and started moving.

The sounds of the battle grew fainter.. Why? They were taking me away? No! I had to stay! I struggled to move struggled to bring myself back into conscious.. free myself from my own body but I couldn't..

All of a sudden the strong scent of Inuyasha's blood hit my nose and in a flash I had control of my own body. My eyes snapped open and the first thing they landed on was the two brothers at the top of the hill. Sesshoumaru's hand was through Inuyasha's body...My heart raced in fear and I pushed Miroku away. I had to hel-

"No Kaori!" Miroku shouted grabbing my arm. "I can't let you go back!"

"But-"

"If you do, you'll be ignoring Inuyasha's wishes!"

I felt a heavy weight fall upon me making me weak. He was sending me away...Still he didn't think I was capable...

"He doesn't want you to die." Miroku added seeing the look on my face. I glanced to him then away, and watched the fight once more. Inuyasha had control of Tetsusaiga again..and Sesshoumaru was without his left arm.. As they glared, Inuyasha suddenly fell to his knees. The Tetsusaiga was held but dug into the ground in front of him, acting as a shield. I wanted to jump between them again, but my feet stayed put. I suddenly realized my head no longer hurt.. and I couldn't see the shikon shard anymore.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! That damn Inuyasha is loosing consciousness." Jaken's excited cry echoed off the mountains.

"Don't come any closer." Sesshoumaru said, back into his usual monotone.

"Huh?" As the toad said it he stepped toward Inuyasha and as he did the Tetsusaiga reacted and shot a bright yellow light which looked much like a thick lightning bolt toward the toad. Jaken screamed and jumped out of the way.

"Ho...How? He didn't even swing his sword.."

Sesshoumaru was silent for a moment staring at Inuyasha with a blank stare. Then he blinked turned on his heel and walked away. "Come on Jaken we're leaving. As I can not touch the Tetsusaiga there is no point in staying here any longer."

Jaken nodded in agreement a bit too enthusiastically then scurried off after the yokai. They were gone moments later.

All of a sudden I found myself running toward Inuyasha. I felt something warm and wet attack my face but I ignored it, the scent of his blood.. and too much of it distracting me from anything else.

His amber eyes turned to me for a moment...then he collapsed in a pool of his own blood. More tears fell down my face and I fell to my knees beside him wrapping my arms around his injured body. "Inuyasha!"

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

I lay on the roof of Kaede's hut, staring up into the red-orange sky. Inuyasha was inside getting his wounds treated. They must have been worse then I had thought, since he wanted to come back to the village. It shocked me and it had worried me but we still went along. Miroku had called his Takuni yokai friend and he'd transformed into a large yellow monster blimp thing. When we arrived Miroku payed him in leaves.. Some friend.

But there was something else that worried me. Inuyasha seemed distant. He wasn't speaking or even looking at me. I was scared. What was he thinking? Did he hate me for hugging him before? Well that was dumb.. There was no reason for him to hate me.. maybe he was mad cause I didn't listen?

I sighed and sat up. Or maybe I'm just reading too far into this. Maybe it's just because he's hurt.. Yeah that's probably it.

"Kaori..." I looked down. Inuyasha was standing on the ground looking up at me. See I was wrong. "Come here for a sec.."

"You know you really shouldn't be walking..." I said, landing softly in front of him. I gave him a smirk as he stared, I was just so obviously showing off.. But my cocky behaviour faltered as I noticed the sun's affects on him. The orange light intensified his amber eyes to liquid gold, and his silver hair seemed to sparkle with orange and golden highlights.. A dark shadow was cast down the side of his face and my heart skipped a little..

"Never mind that, just come," he growled turning away, heading out of the village. This hostility snapped me from my slight moment of ogling and I followed after him. I really didn't know why I just did that.. every time the lighting changed, or he changed.. I was just stunned.. I was really strange..

Inuyasha lead me through the forest, all the way to the well. I felt my heart leap as I looked upon it. Just one jump..and I could be back at home. It hadn't been that long since I'd been there last...it seemed too early to go back now. Mom had only said a couple of times a month...not a million times a week..

It was at that time that I realized that it had only been one month since I came here. One month of all this drama, fighting, almost dying. It was impossible to think that all that could have happened in one month.. it felt more like a whole year.. but.. it was the reality of it wasn't it?

Inuyasha sat down by the well, resting his back against the wooden edge and sighed, "Kaori.. how are you feeling? You're.. injured aren't you?"

I fell to my knees at his side, "What's wrong with me isn't as important as your injuries."

"But you are hurt..."

I looked at him trying to see through his weird behaviour but I couldn't, "Yeah.. I guess am but it's nothing.. I've had worse before.. It's just a bump."

"Sorry about that.. I was careless and got you into a awful situation.." he mumbled, staring at the grass.

My head tilted to the side, "Are you alright? "Do you have a fever?" I leaned forward, placing my hand over his and the other on his forehead. He tensed and pulled away from my hand but he couldn't go far back since he was up against the well. I noticed a slight pink tinge appear on his cheeks but acted like I hadn't seen anything.

"You've heard it, fifty years ago me and Kikyo were caught in a trap by Naraku.. the same guy pulling Sesshoumaru's strings," he explained shrugging off my hands, "that's why from now on, things will get even more dangerous..."

"That's understandable..." I mumbled, staring at the same patch of grass he was, trying to see what made it so interesting.

"Kaori, you.. aren't you scared?" he asked, finally looking at me, "Even though you only just escaped death this time!"

"I'm not scared!" I exclaimed, a little annoyed with him, "I fought you off alone when you tried to attack me for the jewel shard," I saw an expression of guilt flash across his face, "I killed Yura, those bandits I survived! Koga kidnapping me, all when I was human! Then again we fought when I transformed, then when we got Tetsusaiga and Sesshoumaru was there, then your mother, the spider heads, the ink oni and again Sesshoumaru! In my opinion your brother is the worst thing, so why should I be scared? I survived him both times."

"But it could get worse!"

"You don't know that, but I'm not scared and I'm not arguing, right now your injuries are the most important thin-"

His hand grabbed my wrist and he pulled me to him. His arms wrapped around my waist and with one hand, held my head against his shoulder. My face was suddenly burning and my stomach flip-flopped. "I.. Inuyasha..?"

"I...was scared," he whispered, "When I thought you were going to die, all those times.. I was scared.."

I forced a chuckle and blinked back tears from my eyes, "Heh...Inuyasha.. It's alright, I'm not going to die.."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face into his shoulder desperate not to cry. Why was I crying for? There was no reason.. I took in a shaky breath and I was suddenly bombarded with his intoxicating scent. My mind dazed out for a bit and my hands gripped tightly to his kimono, I couldn't understand what he was going on about.. My transformation was worse than anything Sesshoumaru has ever done to me, the war at Koga's was worse than that too.. Why was this affecting him now..?

I was brought back into the moment by Inuyasha slightly pulling back. He held my face in his hands and was staring like it was gonna be the last time he ever set eyes on me.. our faces were so close our noses were almost touching. My face heated up even more. He inched closer and I felt his hot breath on my slightly parted lips..

All of a sudden my eyes were wretched open as I was thrown to the ground, my getting a mouth full of grass and dirt. Inuyasha jumped back away from me, glaring at me now, acting as if I were a disease, a poison.. I turned so I was on my back and raised myself with my arms staring back at him. I was too shocked to be angry.. too scared... What the hell had just happened? My heart was still racing and my face was still hot.. Again.. he almost.. kissed..

"I'll take this.." he growled, exposing six sparkly Shikon fragments in his hand. No..

"Don't you ever come here again!" he shouted, viciously, grabbing the front of my shirt and throwing me over the well's edge. I was falling down farther and father.. his face getting distant.. blurry.. then the blue orbs blocked my vision and tears spilled from my eyes.. No!


	16. Naraku

A/N ~ (10-01-10): Dates: October 14th - 16th I changed A LOT in this chapter, from protecting me. I sort of wanted to make her less ridiculous, it might be worse now but I like this more

* * *

**You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.**

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I Do Not Own Inuyasha

* * *

16. Naraku

"Kaori! You're back!"

I looked up, and saw Eri, Yuka and Ayumi racing towards me from across the school yard. I tried to smile at them, but I couldn't it was too hard.

After Inuyasha had pushed me I had lay there at the bottom of the well my eyes open but not seeing. I hadn't know how I felt.. all that I could repeat in my head was 'no'. I had lay there for what seemed like hours.. months.. years even.. and I wished it had been years but of course I had no such luck. It had only been a few minutes. I had made it to the house without thinking, feeling numb.. but as soon as I had walked through the door and Souta greeting me asking how Inuyasha and I had been doing, I broke down and burst into tears..

"Hi.." I said weakly.

"Oh.. so your still not recovered then?" Yuka asked.

"Well.. you could say that.." I mumbled. I continued on walking toward the school and they followed quickly behind asking many annoying questions. I didn't want to have to put up with this today.. I wanted silence..

As I sat in class..well more like had my head down against the desk, staring out the window, I played the scene out over and over in my head. When he hugged me, all those confessions, almost kissing me for the second time.. I had felt so.. I didn't even know the words to describe it. It felt like.. I'd been waiting for something like that for my whole life.. Like a relieved yet excited, scared feeling when all that happened.. I always felt strangely vulnerable yet safe around him.. It didn't make sense. But what did it matter anymore..? He.. didn't want me..

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

I lay across my bed stroking Buyo resting on my stomach, trying not to think of much except for the pattern that I pet him.. It had been two days.. I took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. His scent was completely gone, having been washed away with all the baths Mom had forced me to take. It's not like I didn't enjoy being clean but if it were possible to be clean and still have that scent near by then.. I'd enjoy that so much more.

I heard someone knock on the door. "Kaori, are you getting ready? You know Hojo-kun will be here soon!" Kagome called.

I groaned and sat up. Kagome reinforced her long forgotten birthday gift on me yesterday when I had gotten home from school, and since I hadn't been paying attention I had said yes.. So now he taking me to some thing at school. A party of some sort. I didn't mind. At first I thought it would have something to do with Halloween, but then.. when the full moon shone down upon me and I changed to my human form, I realized I was two weeks away from Halloween..

I sighed, sliding off my bed, to open the door to let my sister in. She beamed and held up an armful of clothes and makeup.. oh god..

An hour later I wore a delicate white and black dress, the waist down being a white silk, and the top having a black flowery design. A black sequined sewn on belt separated these two. Black heels were on my feet, and a new silver chain donated by my mother was around my neck. Kagome fussed over my hair, and over the red ribbon tied around my wrist.

"Ugh do you have to wear that?" she asked, as she tried to de-tangle my super long brown hair. For some reason I thought my hair would have gone back to it's original length from before I transformed, but of course, no such luck.

I looked down at the horribly cut, and messily tied ribbon around my wrist. Inuyasha had not been a master with the scissors.. "Yes."

"Why?"

"It means a lot to me.." I mumbled. That was true, but it also signified a broken promise. We made that promise to stay friends no matter what, and his own paranoia.. broke that.

"Tch, can I just cut it off?"

"NO!" I shouted, jumping to my feet.

Kagome sighed, running a finger through her raven locks, "I don't mean the band, I mean your hair, I wanna cut it back to a manageable length."

"Oh," I turned back to the mirror and twisted a lock of copper brown hair around my finger. I seemed swamped by it. It was different when I was hanyo.. and I was constantly running around, the hair never getting into my face, because of the wind. But here, where accessorizing and convince was key.. it was just.. I guess too much? "Yeah, but not too short."

I head out the door a few minutes later, my freshly cut, brown hair only touching lightly upon my lower back. Kagome was wonderful at this, I honestly thought she should get into beauty school than medical.

Hojo still hadn't arrived to get me but I just wanted to take a little walk to get some fresh air. I stared up into the stary sky. Was I really never going to see him again? I remembered when I ran away and cursed mentally at myself. Why.. what was my problem? The times when he did want me around I pushed him away and took off.. and now it's too late..

I hugged my arms, fighting back tears. All those times.. all those fights.. So long I tried to prove to him I was strong enough.. but still it did nothing.. I tried to show I was sorry.. but still nothing..

"Higurashi?"

I looked up. Hojo was walking towards me a look of concern on his face. I got up and wiped away the tears that were threatening to fall. "Hi.."

"Are you okay?"

I shook my head and put on a smile, "I'm fine. Let's go, kay?"

He paused, then smiled, "Kay."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

The room was dark but coloured lights flashed everywhere. A giant disco ball twirled around from the ceiling and a familiar song blared. I stood on the side by the wall, clutching Eri's black purse in my hand. I sighed, what was I doing here? I never came to school anymore, I shouldn't even be aloud here. Besides, how did they expect me to enjoy myself? I was completely miserable...

"Hey," A man looking to be 18 or 19, leaned back on the wall next to me. He wore jeans and black t-shirt, worn shoes, and glossy black hair was cut into choppy spikes and layers. Shades protected his eyes and I noticed a pack of cigarettes in his pocket.

I inched away from him, that little piece of locked away instincts telling me this wasn't someone I needed to be around.. "Hi.."

"Why are you standing here all by yourself? Shouldn't a little thing like you have a boyfriend to dance with?"

I rolled my eyes, clutching Eri's purse tighter in my hands. Hopefully this purse, and her mind, were somehow interconnected and she would come over to save me, "Relationships are a waste of time."

The guy raised his eye brows, giving me a soft smirk, "Really? How so?"

I blew a stand of hair out of my face, and inched further away, "Cause you only ever get lied to and messed with."

"So your boyfriend dumped you, huh?"

I blinked, "What? No!"

"Ahuh, I'm so sure," he muttered. He pushed a cooler closer to him with this feet and pulled out two cans. I couldn't see the lable, the room was too dark and his hand was covering most of the words, "Here, relax a little."

He handed me the can and I stared at it. It was in another language. I couldn't read any word of it at all. I pushed it back to him, "Err no thanks."

"Why?"

"Cause I don't know what it is, and I'm not thirsty."

"It's a relaxing drink," he chuckled, opening his own and gulping down half of the can at once.

"Yeah and I don't know who you are either, so no thanks," I pulled myself from the wall and headed toward the door. I couldn't see Hojo or anyone anywhere, everything was just a mass of dark figures. I wanted to just go home..

"Weak!"

I stopped, spinning around, "Excuse me?"

"You're weak," the guy called, taking another sip, "Won't even take a kindly offered drink from a classmate. Can't have a little fun."

I went back over to him, "Classmate? You are extremely too old to be in high school."

He paused, "I am not, this is my last year, idiot. I seen you all the time here, with your friends. I thought you were different than them," he pointed somewhere in the dark. I followed his gaze and noticed that off in a corner, my three best friends were ogling _my_ date, with about seven other girls. I growled. Not so much from jealousy as being compared to boy crazy weirdos like them.

"But I guess I was wrong, you're just another stuck up prep."

"I'm not!" I half shouted. The music was too loud to draw any attention to myself, and my face flushed in embarassment.

The guy smirked again, and handed the can back to me, "Then prove it."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

The world was spinning as I stumbled down the street. I couldn't stand up right, I felt nauseous and hot. I didn't really know what exactly it was that I was drinking, but I couldn't stop. The taste was incredibly exotic. It seemed to have mysterious properties that could only be figured out if I kept drinking it..

The guy had taken me from the school then took off some where with his friends.. either that or I stumbled away I couldn't really remember. A dull ache was still in my chest, it wouldn't go away, most of it had disappeared as I had taken more of the drinks but the last bit wouldn't leave..

I tripped as my feet hit something hard and groaned as my chin came into contact with stone or concrete. I looked up, I was at the shrine again. My head pulsed and I rolled onto my back, sitting on the steps. What did it matter? I was stuck here as a hanyo to be forever ridiculed.. no one would ever really like me, I would be an outcast, even Hojo is more interested in the other girls than me, not that I'm really complaining, just stating a fact.

I got to my feet and slowly made my way up the stairs. I just wanted to go home.. throw up and then sleep forever. But instead of going to the house, in a few moments I found myself in front of the well house. I ran my hands across the cool wooden doors then bent to grabbed my katanas leaning on the wall. I held them in my hands for a moment, carefully watching as the dark sheath reflected the full moon. Suddenly I felt a soft pull on my body, and my head snapped up. I could feel.. the Shikon shards!

I pulled opened the door, ignoring the sudden head rush, and drunken miserable feelings I was plagued with. If the jewel was here then Inuyasha..? I took a step inside searching the darkness for a red and silver figure.. but there wasn't anything. The air was stale and thick, but still. Nothing moved. Not a sound could be heard.

But I could still feel the shikon shards. I stepped inside, and pulled the door closed behind me. I made my way down the steps as the earth turned, causing me to fall off balance, and cling to the railing for dear life. Ugh.. this was horrible.. I never wanted to have another 'relaxing drink' again..

I pulled myself over the edge of the well and dropped down to the bottom. I half expected the blue orbs to come, but alas, they did not. I crouched down low to the ground, not bothering to care if my dress got dirty or my shoes got stuck. I plunged my fingers into the earth scratching at it's surface, fighting to find that jewel. I didn't know why exactly, I couldn't go back, maybe the well was broken on the other side.. but I could feel a jewel shard.. through time.. that means that in some way, didn't it.. that the well was still accessible..?

A bright light broke through the dirt, and all of a sudden those blue orbs surrounded me. I felt the warm touch of sunlight kiss my skin and I looked to the sky. The sun had risen..

"Kaori!"

I looked to my left and noticed Shippo sitting beside me. His eyes were wide and he had sweat dripping down his little face. His furry brown vest was ripped as was the blue and green coloured kimono beneath it. He looked absolutely terrified..

"Kaori!" he squeaked again, leaping onto my chest and giving me a hug, "I thought I would never see you again!"

"I-" I was about to respond, but the sound of growling wolves caused my heart to skip.

Four gray, triple eyed wolves came stalking down a large tree that had been forced down the well, breaking and destroying the inside. Was this the reason I hadn't been able to cross over before? I went to grab my katana but I felt something hard in my hand. I looked down for a split second, to see that a quarter of the jewel was now in my fist. I quickly shoved it into my pocket, then went on attacking the wolves.

They were stronger than expected, and I was weak thanks to that drink. My mind had stayed clear through out the whole thing, but I wondered if that was only cause I was hanyo and even as a human my body had a higher threshold for drinks like that.. I managed to snatch Shippo, and kill all of the wolves, however, in about 10 seconds. A moment later we were out from the bottom, and I sunk to my knees on the wet grass below.

My body was trembling. I was back.. After three whole days.. I was back.. Blue locks blew before my eyes, and my ears twitched at every sound. It was good to be hanyo again.. I sniffed the air instinctivly, but my heart stopped as the horrifying scent of Inuyasha's blood scorched my nose.

"Inuyasha!" I looked up, to see him landing in front of me. His face was confused, shocked, slight relief but over all anger..

"You..." he growled, "You damn fool why did you come back?"

I sat in my patch of grass for a moment, as the tears started to spill, "Inuyasha..!" I rushed forward, wrapping my arms around his neck, "I hate you.. Why...? Why didn't you come back for me? I thought it was all over... I thought I was never going to see you again!"

"You should have listened to me!" he snapped, pulling me away, "I told you to stay away!"

I growled, as the tears spilled even harder.. "Jerk!" I pulled back my hand and hit him in the face, "You think I'm still little don't you! That I'm incapable!"

Inyuasha blinked, rubbing the place where my hand had made contact with his face, "Baka, it's not like that at all!"

"Yeah right!" I cried, "After I missed you so much, and I was all depressed.. You didn't even care!" I covered my face with my hands and turned my back to him, letting the tears have their way.

"H-hey!" he stuttered, "Stop crying, d-don't be sad over me!"

"Who said I was crying over you!" I snapped, making him flinch, "I haven't slept all night and I had some creepy guy giving me weird drinks that just made me dizzy and sick! All my friends bailed on me too! I'm crying out of frustration, because of life, not just you!"

"Fine then, you're not! But stop it already!"

"No!"

"Look! Kaede-sama, Kaori-sama has returned!"

Miroku's voice echoed down the hills, and suddenly my eyes could no longer produce the salty wetness that caused Inuyasha so much torment.. I seen him at the edge of the forest with my sister, and waved. They made their way towards us, but Kaede was suspiciously scanning the area, as if searching for a yokai of some sort.

"What is wrong Kaede-sama?" Miroku asked.

"All the poisonous insects from that swarm have disappeared." replied Kaede.

"Now that you mention it..." muttered Miroku.

I looked around, sniffing the air, "What was going on?" I asked.

"We are in the midsts of a battle, Royakan," Kaede informed me.

"You mean that wolf, bear yokai thing with the red eyes and teeth, who is actually supposed to be peaceful and guards the forest?" I asked, recalling the figure from my childhood.

"Yes, but he is no longer peaceful, and has been aided with the poisious insects as Sesshoumaru," Miroku added.

"So then..?"

"It's Naraku," Inuyasha growled.

A new scent hit the air, a sickly, evil, sour smell, one of rotten cheese or milk. I spun around. My eyes landed on a tall figure, masked completely by a silver baboon pelt. My head throbbed suddenly, that bastard of a migraine returning ten times worse than it did with Sesshoumaru.. Black spots appeared before my eyes and I fell to my knees. Kaede reached down beside me, holding my shoulders.

"What is wrong?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"He.. he has a hell of a lot of tainted shards.." I gasped..

The baboon man chuckled, and I watched as his crimson eyes glowed behind his light blue mask, staring into my soul, "Why yes, I am, Naraku."

"Before I kill you, there's something I need to know..." Inuyasha said, cracking his knuckles, "Just what kind of grudge do you have against me, bastard?"

"Grudge..you want to know the reason why I hate you, huh..." Baboon man sneered. "Can't you die without knowing it...?"

"What the hell do you mean, bastard?" Inuyasha growled.

Naraku chuckled again and eyed my elder sister, "Kaede...you've really aged haven't you?"

"Do you know me?" Her words were strong, and clear. I couldn't detect a trace of fear in her tone, "Damn you...you really are..."

"Onigumo, aren't you!" Inuyasha finished for her. I was confused. Onigumo? That thief.. so many years ago that Kikyo harbored in that cave? The one who scared me half to death cause he literally was half dead, full of burns, and immobile.. I never knew.. what happened to him?

Naraku laughed darkly, "Yes, Inuyasha. It's certainly the case that fifty years ago, I was born in Onigumo's cave. Or, one could say, it was thanks to Kikyo.. Kikyo's holy powers were weakening every day and she could no longer hold back the yokai of this world.. Why do you think that is, Inuyasha? It's because Kikyo fell in love with a worthless hanyo.."

A low and vicious growl hissed through Inuyasha's lips, but Naraku ignored it, his smirk growing wider with every reaction. .

"She degraded herself into a powerless woman and Onigumo, that man filled with evil, harboured despicable desires for Kikyo. Unable to move, Onigumo's dreadfully evil thoughts filled the inside of the cave and that evil drew in yokai.. He traded his body to the yokai in exchange for one that could move freely and take the Shikon no tama, which would give him the power to make Kikyo his.. and then, the yokai came together, and one was born.. this Naraku."

"Then, Onigumo was.." Kaede gasped, her strong hands gripping tightly to my shoulder as I battled to stay conscious.

"Hehe.. both his tainted soul and body were devoured on the spot, and he was no more. That idiot gave me a good bargain."

"Why lay a trap for Kikyo and I?" Inuyasha asked, darkly, the pain, hatred and understanding in his face so very visible to me now.

"It's obvious.." replied Naraku, "To soil Kikyo's heart with hatred and let the Shikon No Tama suck up malicious blood. The ones who trusted one another killed one another.. Is there anything as hopelessly tragic as this? And the more these feelings are strengthened.. the more the hatred increases, and the jewel grows corrupted. Inuyasha.. You should have hated Kikyo as well.. hehehe. The rest would have gone fine.. had Kiky used the Shikon No Tama to save herself. She should have shamefully pleaded to God.. so that she could survive by herself.. I waited for that, to tear Kikyo limb from limb and to claim the tainted jewel as my own.. however that woman died with the Shikon No Tama in her hands... "

I remembered back to that day when my life had changed forever.. When I had payed more attention to the hanyo standing in front of me now.. instead of the woman who had been my older sister.. Images of my dream invaded my mind again for the thousandth time since I'd seen it and I shook my head. It's better this way.. Then I remembered when I transformed and the hatred in Kikyo's eyes as she had looked at Inuyasha and how she commanded me to kill him.. and as I fell unconscious.. her retreating figure..a s Inuyasha followed her.. What happened after that? I looked to my sister and then to Inuyasha, what happened? Why hadn't I been told?

"Because of that I failed to take the Shikon No Tama..." Naraku continued on. He seemed to be talking more to his self then to us now, "And what is worse, all because of a stupid hanyo like you... What a worthless...stupid woman.."

"Ugh..." The scent of fresh blood hit my nose and I looked toward Inuyasha. He was bitting his bottom lip so hard he'd broken through the skin. His silver bangs covered his eyes and his hands were clenched tightly into fists, "You bastard.. How dare you do that to Kikyo.. I WONT FORGIVE YOU!"

Suddenly he dashed forwards, his claws bared, crazed anger flashing behind his amber eyes. He slashed through the man before us, cutting a few trees in the same swipe. Naraku leaped up into the air, the baboon pelt cut into pieces trailing out behind him.

"You wont get away!" Miroku shouted, throwing his staff at the retreating man. It struck and the scent of burning flesh hit my nose. Naraku landed on the ground and turned towards the monk, covering his face with his sleeve.

"Hehehe, you moron.." Naraku chuckled, "You have the face of a girl-chaser, just like your Jii-san."

"My face has nothing to do with it!" Miroku shouted, getting red. I wanted to laugh, but I couldn't, it would be rude and the pain pulsing through my veins was unbearable.. this.. had to be from the tainted shards. There was no other explanation.

"Cut the stupid jokes! Bastard..." Inuyasha shouted, "I'll kill you!"

He ran towards the man once more but once he got close Naraku exploded into a dark purple substance which quickly dissolved everything in it's path.

Inuyasha raced into the poison, his face full of rage and determination.. This was his revenge.

"Come back Inuyasha! Your body will melt!" Kaede shouted. But the boy ignored my sister's warnings.

"Heeheh, you moron.." Naraku's voice echoed around us from the inside of the miasma, "Did you actually believe you could escape my miasma once inside?"

I saw Inuyasha's form vaguely through the poison, as he cut through it with his sword. His kimono was already dissolving, but he was focused on the yokai before him.

"You bastard!" Naraku hissed. He then spun around and ran deeper into the miasma.

"STOP, DAMN YOU!" Inuyasha yelled, cutting through the purple air again. He paused his eyes landing on something, then the purpleness spun upwards toward the sky and was no more.

Inuyasha walked towards us and spoke to Miroku and Kaede about some spider scar on Naraku's back, but I wasn't paying attention. I blinked as the dark spots dissappeared before my eyes and I was able to stand one again. I watched as a large bug eyed brown furry yokai pull a large tree from his mouth and cry about his head hurting. His face was covered in roots and leaves and amongst the green mass was a shikon shard.

I made my way toward him, Royakan wouldn't hurt me.

"You idiot! You wanna die, huh?" Inuyasha snarled, snatching my arm.

"He's fine now, look at him!" I said, rolling my eyes, "Can I take it?" I asked, tilting my head slightly as I watched the creature wither in pain.

"It's futile, only Naraku ca-"

I reached my hand into the mass of green and gently pulled out the shard. The leaves and roots then abruptly died and fell off him, and he smiled and stared at me, his wide red eyes admiring. "Ahh I'm saved! Sorry about everything! See ya!" And with that he whipped around and ran away.

I giggled a little, my mood improving so drastically at his peaceful childish behavior.

When I turned around I noticed that Kaede, Shippo and Miroku were leaving, and Inuyasha watched me with a serious, yet curious gaze. I blushed and held my hands behind my back, rocking on my heels.

"We kind of left things, unfinished, didn't we?" I mumbled.

He didn't reply. He looked at me with a weird expression.. and yet one I was all to familiar with. The same look of when he'd first transformed and I thought he was going to die..

I blushed harder and I stared down at my feet. "Look I'm sorry for coming back.. I'm gonna go back home if it's what you want."

"I don't."

This answer startled me and I looked up at him. His face went red and he averted his eyes to the morning sun, "You see.. I thought it was okay no matter how far away you were.. but.. it was when I saw your face that for some reason.. my strength returned.."

My heart hammered inside my chest and I smiled tentatively at him. I took a step closer and I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he returned the embrace.

"Because..." I breathed, "You need me... and honestly I really need you, too..."


	17. Soul Stealer

A/N ~ (10-01-10): date October 23rd (it's been a week since the last chapter) - october 24th

* * *

**You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.**

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I Do Not Own Inuyasha

* * *

17. Soul Stealer

"Wow! What a huge mansion!" Shippo gasped, as we stood at the doors of a lords house. The cold October wind bit at my nose and my finger tips, and I shook of a shiver.

"Will we be staying here for the night?" I asked.

"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed, sour again that we would rather rely on Miroku for places to stay than him, "He's probably just gonna say that there's an ominous cloud over them again."

"No, I have a legitimate reason this time," Miroku replied, rolling his dark blue eyes.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

"A yokai who steals the souls of girls who have passed on...?"

"Yes.. it happens before the soul can ascend to heaven.."

We now sat in the inside of that huge and luxious mansion. The floors were dark blue, and many beautiful paintings and fabrics filled the area. It was lightly touched with a soothing incense which put my mind at ease despite a dead princess laying in the middle of the room.

Her father was almost in tears, worrying about some yokai, "Many people have seen it with their own eyes. It's sad enough that the princess passed away.." said the lord, a tear travelling down his aged cheek, "If her soul was taken as well.."

"Please do not worry," Miroku assured the hurting father, "We shall protect the princess's soul without fail."

And so, a few hours later were in in our own little supper room, being blessed with a huge giant banquet that could fill two hundred men in one night.

"See, I told you, it's the same everytime!" Inuyasha muttered.

"Yeah but you can't fight on an empty stomach," I reminded him.

"But still, it's aweful quiet.." Miroku murmered looking around suspiciously as he took a sip of his soup, "I don't like it."

"Ehh.." I munched on a piece of fish and tuned my ears to listen to the sounds around us, "I hear lots of things, it's fine."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

"There's nothing suspicious outside," Inuyasha said, as he came through a beautifly decoraded door. It was paper but painted with a sunset landscape of hills and water, "So how's the deceased?"

"Inuyasha that's not really nice.." I muttered as he sat beside me, in front of the dead princess's body.

"I'm really not convinced about this.."

"About what..?" I asked looking up at him from the corner of my eye.

"Where did Miroku go?" he asked, "And why do _we_ have to watch over the dead body?"

"That's kind of disrespectful.." I reminded him.

"Oh bite me, you were thinking it too."

"Anyways," I sighed, "There's another princess here and he said he was worried about her."

"He's such an indecent guy, but he acts so pure that my hands are tied!"

I assumed we were still talking about Miroku so I said, "Maybe half of it is because he's paying attention to our needs..."

"Hah? What are you talking about?" He half turned towards me, a look of confusion on his face.

"Maybe..." I started again, blushing so hard my nose felt like it was on fire. "He's deliberately letting us be alone..?"

"E-eh...?" I leaned up against him, my eyes glued to the princess. "Wha...?" I felt him go ridge, and I heard his heart beat quicken. "What are you...?"

"I'm scared!" I cried, "Miroku, you baka! I don't wanna be in the same room as a dead person!"

"...Is that all?" He finally said. I noticed he wasn't tense anymore and his heart beat had returned back to normal.

"Yes.. Why? What were you thinking?" I got up on all fours and looked at him moving really close. My tail was wagging slowly and I smiled, "Did you want to make out with me or something?"

His face went beet red and he crawled backwards away from me, smacking his head against the wall, "YOU'RE JUST AS BAD AS MIROKU!"

I sat back down and grinned, "Hey man it wasn't me who was thinking it, it was you."

"I was not!"

"Surreee."

"Hey! You know I don't have to take your harassment! I can just leave you here!"

"Wahh no, don't!" I leaped on top of him and wrapped my arms around his head, making him freak out even more, "Don't leave me alone with the dead bod- KYAAAAH!"

I screamed as the princess body suddenly rose up into the air. A grey green snake-like floating yokai came in through the open window and pulled a silvery whimsy substance out from the girl's mouth.

Inuyasha jumped up, pushing me off his lap, and pulled out Tetsusaiga. He cut through the yokai and the soul floated back inside the girl who at once fell back down onto the ground.

"That's it? That was too easy.." Inuyasha muttered.

I looked past him out of the window from where the yokai had come, "There's more!"

About a dozen of the yokai were flying through the air, silhouetted against the moon, each of them holding a soul. We ran from the room to get a better look, where we met up with Miroku. His robes had been pulled off one shoulder and a round faced girl was latched onto him, crying into the dark blue material.

"Let's go after it, RIGHT NOW!" Miroku shouted, sounding a bit panicked.

"What the hell have you been doing?" Inuyasha asked, staring at the girl and the monk's exposed shoulder.

"That's none of your concern!" Miroku snapped.

We raced after the yokais, but they were too fast and too high up in the sky to keep a track off. In a matter of moments we lost them in the distance.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

I picked at a hole in my jeans as the others feasted on the junk food that had been hidden deep in my backpack. I was sulking, and it was obvious but no one seemed to notice, or they just didn't care. I was upset for two reasons. One, that was my food! And two, they didn't seem to want to continue with the expedition. Lazy bums they were.. I wanted to save the souls of the deceased women. But they really didn't seem to understand why. Neither did I, really, but maybe, I thought, it was because I've had problems with my own soul.. Having it had been repressed and all by Kikyo's. I guess I was just sensitive to the subject and that was why I wanted to help.

"Ugh, can we please go?" I asked once more for the hundredth time.

"Go where?" Inuyasha replied, lethargically laying down in the sun.

"To save the girl's souls!" I said, my voice getting higher as my irritation grew, "I've only told you at least a million times!"

"Yeah so..?"

I huffed and spun around, turning my back to them. They were no help at all! Stupid men..

"We brilliantly lost sight of them.." Shippo reminded me as he licked a huge lollipop as big as his head.

I pressed my lips together and turned back to Inuyasha, "Just come on! With our sense of smell and speed we can find them in no time! Pleasseee!"

He sniffed the air, his eyes half closed, "Can't smell a thing."

"Ugh, what? Why are you being so uncooperative? You can't tell me that your already tired of this!"

"Well if you think about it.." he exhaled looking away from me, "What's in it for us? It's not like there's any jewel shards to go after."

I growled and grabbed his ears, making him yelp in pain, "You listen here, you stupid! I want to go-"

"Hey, what's that over there?"

I sighed loudly and looked over to where Miroku was pointing, letting go of the boy's ears in the process. A dark figure floated along the river, large and lifeless.

"What is it?"

"An octopus?" Shippo guessed.

"Shippo, octopuses don't live in rivers. It's a person isn't it?" Miroku questioned.

I groaned. Now we were getting pulled into something else when we haven't even finished the soul quest yet. Greaattt.

Miroku and Inuyasha pulled the body out of the river and onto the rocky shore. I stood half turned toward them, my arms crossed, and my tail flicking in irritation. How stupid.

"Good, he's just unconscious," Miroku said as the man groaned. I scoffed and sniffed the air. Come on... give me a whiff of those soul-eaters. I caught something.. but not something I had been expecting. The scent of graveyard soil, roses and death. I felt my heart skip and I whipped around. My eyes snapped towards Inuyasha but he didn't seem to notice it. Maybe he really couldn't smell anything right now? I shook my head and ran up to the unconscious man. I dropped to my knees and grabbed the wet fabric covering him. I pressed my face against the cloth and the scent was stronger. I heard Inuyasha and Miroku yell at me in surprise telling me how rude this way but I didn't care. Could it be...her?

But sadly the human awoke in the middle of my sniffings. He screamed, and a sharp pain was suddenly against my face as I was pushed back onto the ground. He.. slapped me?

"Y..Yokai!" he stuttered, crawling backwards until he reached the river.

"Muuuuhh, how rude. Your not supposed to hit a girl," I whined rubbing the red spot on my cheek.

"Kaori, you were all over him! What did you expect!" Inuyasha snapped.

"Ouswari."

Inuyasha shut up.

"How did you end up in the river?" Shippo asked.

He blinked at me, then around at the others. His eyes stopped at Miroku and he sighed once he realized the monk was in fact human like himself.

"Don't worry." I said, noticing this, "That monk has conquered and taken us all as prisoners. He's our owner and tamer, we're completely harmless."

He looked at me again and I heard Inuyasha growl in protest but I ignored it. The human seemed to wonder about whether or not I was joking but then decided it really didn't matter anymore, "There was a yokai.. It had the appearance of a pale human beauty, but.. it was a terrible monster.. That miko.."

Miko.. pale and human, beautiful.. the scent of death and roses..

"That miko.." he breathed, "..reflected back his houriki.. and killed my master.. If I remember correctly.. her name was Kikyo."

"You bastard!" Inuyasha yelled, abruptly jumping to his feet and grabbing the man, "If your screwing me around..!"

"I.. I'm not lying!" he stuttered, frightened even more that now it seemed like both canine hanyos have now attacked him, "That woman was calling in people's souls!"

I felt my blood run cold. Kikyo was doing that? Why? She had her own soul.. the part taken from me.. She wouldn't need to steal souls from dead women if she had her own.. unless.. "She died again.. didn't she.."

Everyone froze and looked toward me. Inuyasha looked torn.

"At that time.. when I changed..." I looked up, and glared at the hanyo, "Why? What did you do! Did you kill her! WHY AREN'T YOU SAYING ANYTHING?" I was yelling now, slowly advancing on him. I was mad.. and it was stupid to be that way. I was happy about her death.. the first time, thinking that it was better this way.. and I really had honestly never thought much about whether or not Kikyo was actually living after my transformation.. but.. I deserve to know..

"I didn't kill her!" Inuyasha retorted, not as harsh as I was speaking, "After you passed out she ran away and I went after her! She slipped and fell down a cliff. I tried to save her but she wouldn't let me, okay!"

I clenched my teeth together and I balled my hands into fists. "Why didn't you tell me before..?"

"You never cared."

The words hit me as hard as rock.. or even harder maybe.. That wasn't true. I cared.. she was my sister! But it was true.. that I never thought about it.. I never asked.. or gave it a second thought until a few days ago..

"Do you think we should check it out?" Miroku asked, breaking through the silence.

"You guys.. turn back from here.. I want to go alone."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

"Do you think it's better that Inuyasha went alone?" Miroku asked.

"Do you think it's better to talk about it?" I replied shortly. We walked through a field of tall grass and dying wild flowers. Shippo sat quietly on Miroku's shoulder, and they both stared at me. The silence continued making me uneasy so I sighed and said, "I think it's better that he went alone because he still loves her. Kikyo, I mean. It's obvious."

"Not really.." Miroku admitted.

"Why?" I quizzed, looking over my shoulder at him.

"Well upon first impression.. You remember what I said when I first met you both?"

I thought back, staring up at the sky as I did so._ "She appeared to be a companion. I knew you had known each other since Kaori was just a little girl but as you have fallen in love with Kaori-sama..."_ My face reddened and Miroku seemed to notice for he continued on.

"Also there is the fact that you always seem to be flirting, he's completely over-protective, and gets jealous easily over you.. While you were cursed he was very worried and stayed up every night. He tried to push you away for your own safety.. So yes, on first impression and based on everything leading up till now, it is not obvious that Inuyasha loves another more then you."

"He doesn't love me like that."

"I never said he did, I'm just saying based on what's obvious not what's fact."

"Shut up." I quickened my pace, my body tense and hot. What did he know? I didn't.. he didn't either! We just have a special bond since we've known each other for a long time.. nothing more..

_"What the hell did you do to her!"_

_"Your hanyo girlfriend is quite amusing Inuyasha."_

_"You protect her, indulge her, and even seem to love her.."_

_"You look better with your hair down.. And you're even cuter when you blush.."_

_"Inuyasha, I.. I know you're worried about me like all the time because I'm so danger prone, and weak. But I'm fine really. Like I said before, it's nothing I can't handle, trust me. You've got to believe that."_

_"When I thought you were going to die, all those times.. I was scared.."  
_

I sighed. Maybe.. on first impression.. it does seem like something more but.. "IT'S NOT!"

"What's not Kaori-sama?" Miroku asked coming up behind me.

"Er...nothing.."

"You know... we could go after him, if you like."

Wow what a sad attempt to make me feel better. Hey, I know your upset but why don't we go stalk you childhood friend and older sister. How swell.

"I don't think that would be the best of idea-" I looked past one the trees. Glowing silver orbs and snake-bug like yokai floated through the air. The soul collectors.. I sprinted forwards after them. Why so close? Why so near? Why now? I was in the middle of something! SELF EMOTIONAL DRAMA! I thought all these crazy things to myself, hoping that in a moment they'd disappear. I so wanted to kill these soul collectors but.. I didn't want to face Kikyo.. she could always tell what I was thinking.. and her eyes seemed to pierce my soul.. I couldn't face her.. not now... so then why was I running?

I stopped and looked around. I lost Shippo and Miroku.. damnit, why at this very moment do I have to end up all alon-

My eyes landed on a woman laying down between low branches of a tree. Her raven hair was left down and fell down across her body, stretching towards the ground. Silver orbs floated around her and the soul collectors twisted themselves through the leaves and thick limps of the tree holding her.

"Onee-chan.."

I edged closer, my heart racing. She was sleeping.. I was safe from judgment.. I looked around. But where was Inuyasha? He wasn't here? But.. he left hours before..

All of a sudden Kikyo's large brown eyes fluttered open and she sat up. "You!"

I jumped in suprise and landed on my butt on the ground. I tried to say something, but I couldn't find my voice. I was too.. scared..

"You got through my kekkai, huh.." she mumbled, looking me over. She looked different from before.. not as.. angry.. more calmer. She sighed and looked away, "But of course.. Why couldn't the kidnapper of part of my soul, and a descendant of Midoriko be able to?"

"Mi.. Midoriko?" I asked, stumbling to my feet.

"Where's Inuyasha?" she asked, ignoring my question, "You're with him aren't you?"

I pressed my lips together and looked down. She laughed, "But of course you are.. You're Kaori. What a silly question!"

"He went looking for you.." I muttered, getting slightly annoyed by these taunts. She wasn't exactly.. acting as mature as I remembered..

"What are you to Inuyasha?" she asked, after a moment's silence.

My ears tilted to the sides in aggravation, "Silly question."

"No, Kaori, not what is he to you," she corrected, "What are you to him?"

I looked down again. I wanted to say the sister of her.. because.. before that's all I thought I was but.. the first impression thing, Miroku had said..

"You are an obstruction."

My heart lurched and my eyes snapped up to her. She was standing now looking coldly down at me. This.. this couldn't be Kikyo. She touched her middle and index fingers to my forehead and suddenly I was frozen. I felt my heart race and panic shot up and down my body. Locked inside myself again..

More soul collecting yokai floated closer and one of them landed on her out-stretched hand, "It seems like Inuyasha has come back," she said, her voice monotonous, "He's not coming to save you though, little sister. He's coming to meet me."

I felt the tears spill and trickle down my froze body. Inuyasha!


	18. Kikyo's Kiss

A/N ~ (10-01-10): date october 24

* * *

**You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.**

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I Do Not Own Inuyasha

* * *

18. Kikyo's Kiss

I was bound to the tree in which Kikyou had slept. Several soul collectors wrapped themselves around my body and glided around my face. It was revolting. I was able to move now, fortunately. But there was still a spell.. something that prevented me from unleashing my power on these flying snakes and getting free.

The woman standing before me couldn't be Kiky. She was too hateful. She wasn't the mature, kind woman I one remembered. She wasn't my sister.. I figured it was Naraku.. pretending to be my sister. But I wasn't going to fall for it, oh no. My sister was dead, just like Inuyasha had said. She'd never be back in this world..

"You cannot move," she stated, as I struggled, "Even if you scream you won't be heard. You won't be visible to Inuyasha's eyes when he arrives. I won't let you interfere.."

I wrinkled my nose up in disgust but said nothing.

"But.. while we wait.. I'll tell you a little story," The fake Kikyo smiled coldly at me and hid her hands in the large sleeves of her kimono, "I'm aware of a dream you've had. One that's been haunting you for weeks."

I stared back at her, matching the same harsh stare as she was giving me, "How do you know about that?"

She laughed, "I gave you that dream."

Suddenly my body went numb and my gaze dropped to the floor. As I let her words wash over me. She.. did? Why? What kind of sick torture was this! It was all just a spell! A dream? I felt like an idiot. How long had I agonized over it! Cried over it? Over that stupid, non-existent, stupid, idiot dream! She was my sister! Why?

"So it was fake?"

"No."

I looked up at her, "What..?"

"When I died.. I had a choice to see what would have happened if everything had gone on like it should had, and I got that. Betrayed by you and Inuyasha. But I should have known. The way you used to cling to him.." she trailed off, glaring at the forest floor, "The way.."

"Why!" I shouted, struggling against the snakes that bound me, "Why! Why did you have to show me! I was so upset! I got so depressed! I could have killed myself! Why are you only thinking of yourself! Only about your revenge! What happened to you before! What happened to my sister-!"

"We were never sisters," she snapped. My heart thumped hard against my chest as her chocolate brown eyes stared at me with such an intense gaze of loathing I could barely take it, "When you were young before you can remember, your desperate and delicate mother stumbled into our village carrying you along with her. Descendant of Midoriko she was, but weak since her daughter caused her beloved village and father to turn against her in fear that the child would one day kill them all. In our village she abandoned you, along with the Shikon No Tama. I was ill at the time and we were placed inside the same room for reasons still unknown to me. There you stole apart of my soul and the next day I was no longer ill and the sacred jewel was in my care. You lived with us from there on after, as a weak little human girl."

I fell to my knees as the tears slipped down my face.. No.. She had to be lying.. She had to be! It couldn't be true. I was her sister.. I was just.. cursed.. Cursed with a hanyo form.. I.. It.. I couldn't think anymore. She was being too cruel, feeding me all these lies. Why? What was her problem!

"Your behaviour so far these past few weeks is inexcusable," Her voice was low and harsh. I tried to block the voice that would ruin my sisters memory for me forever. This wasn't her.. I reminded myself. It's.. It's Naraku!

A new scent abruptly appeared in the clearing and my head snapped up, my vision blurry with tears, "Inuyasha.."

He walked right past me, deaf to my cries, and stared straight at my demonic sister. "Kikyo.."

She looked up at him then, her eyes no longer dark and evil, but wide and innocent. More tears ran down my face. No..

"So it really was you collecting the dead women's souls!" he stated stepping towards her. She stepped back, "Why..?"

"This imitation body made with bones and earth.. cannot move without dead souls.." she replied. Suddenly her eyes were dark with crazed anger. A half insane smile twisted her beauty into something painful to look at. It was horrible to see her this way.. "Inuyasha.. You find me repulsive don't you. My hatred for you drives me, and I continue to live in this world wearing the souls of the dead."

Inuyasha growled, his face getting red with anger. "You.. YOU MAY HATE ME BUT I.. There hasn't been one since day where I've forgotten you!"

I blinked. My tears suddenly stopped flowing, and I stared at him, my heart beating painfully fast. A dull ache appeared somewhere deep in my chest and I leaned forwards, against the soul collector snakes. I knew it.. I told Miroku.. I was right.. I remembered all the false leads, the fake impressions and the stupid lies. When he said.. all those stupid things.. like when I looked better with my hair down... cuter when I blushed.. he must've just been hallucinating her! I felt a anger boil up inside me. As I watched them.. Jealousy..

"No matter what sort of appearance you have.." he said looking down at the ground. I bit the inside of my cheek and stuck my leg right out under his gaze. He looked right through it as if it were never there.. But I noticed Kikyo's eyes flash to me for a second and I smiled back at her. I didn't know what I was doing.. but I knew I was going to ruin this for her, I was going to distract her.. make it so she can't hear what he's saying.. everything.

"I don't think I could ever hate you, or be repulsed by you."

"Oh excuse me while I BARF!" I yelled making a dramatic and loud gagging noise. My tears were long gone now and I was back on my feet. I was going to have fun with this.

"Do you.. really mean that?" Kikyo said. Once more her eyes flickered and glared at me. This was very amusing. She stepped closer.. closer.. her hand reached out and touched his cheek.

I remembered the other day, last week, every moment that we had that wasn't with her, "NO HE DOESN'T MEAN THAT!"

She ignored me but I felt the soul stealers tighten their grasp. Oh so it was gonna be like that, huh?

"Don't you find it dreadful.. that I could, right now, kill you with this hand..?"

I felt like that was directed more towards me then to Inuyasha. I blinked trying to think of something to distract her and then suddenly her lips were on his. My face burned, my heart lurched.. and suddenly the shrill screams only she could hear were escaping my lips. I screamed like an upset child, who as spoiled as she already was, and still wanted that teddy bear. Every time I ran out of breath I screamed again, and again.. and again. I could sense my sister's irritation and screamed louder.

"When I was alive I wanted to do this.." she whispered as she pulled away and rested her head upon his shoulder.

"Kikyo.." he hugged her back.. and my screams died down. My shouts and annoying remarks could do nothing to him.. and Kikyo was already ignoring me.. well in fact it seemed like the more I tried to ruin it the more she advanced.. Jealousy boiled up in my stomach again.

"Hey! You know, we're closer than you and him!" I shouted at her. If I was jealous.. then she should be too. "And! He's complimented me and practically just about flirted! He worries about me and saves me and beats people up for hurting me!" I kicked the air and struggled violently against the soul collectors, "I CAN MAKE HIM BLUSH TEN FOLD!"

"Kikyo what should I do?" Inuyasha asked.. I growled and continued shouting all the things that's already happened.

"It's too late.." she replied, "for us to return for how we were.. So.. let's stay like this a little longer.."

I finished my rants, and my head hung. I was tired, my throat hurt so horribly. When I looked up I noticed how sad Inyuasha looked and my heart gave a painful lurch. What was I doing? He loved her..

All of a sudden the ground opened, and a harsh wind was dragging them under. Yeah.. screw that I'm not gonna shut up.

"STOP IT, ONEE-SAN!" I shouted, "You have no right to do this! It's this idiot guy Naraku that put you against each other! Inuyasha didn't do anything! You loved him, so why are you so quick to accept that he supposedly killed you? What kind of love is that!"

She raised her finger at me and flicked it, "Shut up."

The Soul Collectors hold around me suddenly tighter and I felt it hard to breath. Pain rippled up and down my back, and tears sprang up in my eyes, and I looked at her pleadingly, "Onee-sann..."

"Even if I could get my revenge," she hissed, "This body wont come back to life."

"So what if you can't come back to life! You don't need to live to be at peace to be happy!"

She turned, ignoring me, back toward Inuyasha who had fall unconscious, "This is better for you too. It's better for us to go together now, than for you to go on living without being able to forget me, isn't it?"

I growled anger pulsing like a drug through my veins, "STOP YOUR NON-SENSE AND GET YOUR STUPID HANDS OFF HIM!" A crack rippled through the air and souls were pouring out from her body. My voice echoed through the forest like a deadly weapon, and the soul collectors loosened their hold on me.

I fell to my knees, not completely free yet, "Inuyasha! Inuyasha! WAKE UP!"

The hanyou boy opened his eyes and looked around him in a daze, "Kaori...?" His tawny eyes landed on my blue and panic masked his features,"Kaori!" He pulled out the Tetsusaiga and cut through the binding youkai and the spell, "Are you alright? What the hell are you doing here, in a place like this?"

"What am I doing!" I repeated a hint of hysteria in my voice. He looked at the soul collectors hovering over me then watched as the glided over to the dead priestess behind him.

"Kikyo.. you.."

"Is she.. my little sister..more precious to you then I?" Kikyou asked, putting sorrow in her words. I exhaled sharply at her words, she most definitely did not treat me very well.. The soul collectors then wrapped themselves around her and lifted her up off the ground.

"Kikyou!" Inuyasha shouted, as he watched her glide away.

"Inuyasha... don't forget that my feelings for you when we kissed were not a lie.."

Irked by this stupid comment, I growled and turned on my heel stalking away. What a big fat stupid joke! It was obvious she was Kikyo, there was no way Naraku would kiss Inuyasha but she could certainly be just as annoying and manipulative as him. She confesses to me all the dementia of her mind then tells him she truly does love him. That's bull!

"Oi.." Inuyasha called, keeping up with me. He NOW of course would have his attention on me, since my sister was gone.

"Leave me," I snapped.

"Why are you angry for!" he asked, irritation in his words.

I exhaled sharply once more and looked over my shoulder at him. He yelped and jumped back. "I saw everything and even more before you arrived too."

"'Everything'?"

"EVVERRRYYYTTHINNGGGGGGG!"I sighed and turned my back to him. "Just what.. in the world am I to you?" Silence filled the air, and the dull ache in my heart returned, "Never mind, I don't wanna know." I went to run, but his hand grasped my wrist keeping me still.

"Let me go," I murmered.

"No."

"I said let me go!" I turned around, trying to pry his hand from my wrist.

"No!" he snapped.

"Ouswari!"

"Hey, stupid! Listen to me at least!" he growled, picking himself off the ground.

"Fine, what do you want!" I replied shortly.

"If you don't like it then I'll apologize! It's my fault! Jeez I've been pushed this freakin' far!"

"Oh well gee I'm sorry for pushing you," I snapped, "No wait that wasn't me, that was Kikyo, dragging you to hell!"

My comment forced the situation into an uncomfortable silence and I turned my back on him.

"There is something isn't there?" Inuyasha asked, more tentative and quieter this time. "Ugh, you're angry about the kiss aren't you?"

I felt my body tense then relaxe again. Well there's the kiss as well as other things.. "Baka! You don't know anything!It just feels like.. You're leading me on.. into thinking these strange things. Then you say you can't forget about my sister.."

"Leading you on?"

I turned toward him, my face flushed as I stared past him not really focusing on anything but air.

"You tease me, at that time before I changed you almost kissed me, what you said on the new moon, then pushing me away, calling me a jewel detector, the jealousy, the over-protectiveness.." I hung her head and hugged my stomach, "I.. I have no idea what I am to you. I don't know how to act or be.. I can understand the part with Kikyo, about not being able to forget her.. but.."

My body started to tremble, and I pushed away a few stay tears, "Maybe.. it would just be better if you thought of me just as Kikyou's little sister again."

I felt his arms wrap around me and my heart skipped a little, "Kaori...I...like seeing you smile..." he confessed. "Somehow..when I'm with you.. I feel relived.. like the world is at peace.. it's always been like that. You were the first person to accept me, love me for who I am. You were never..just Kikyou's little sister.. But I cannot just forget about Kikyo.. it's half my fault she died because I didn't believe in her.."

I sighed, wiping away more tears, "I understand.."


	19. The Sennin

A/N ~ (12/10/2010): Dates: October 29th - 30th. So hey I'm back? It's a long chappieter, and it was fun to read and fix up. Like before if there is anything I need to change then let me know, anything confusing, let me know.

* * *

**You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.**

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I Do Not Own Inuyasha

* * *

19. The Sennin

A roaring crowd was lost in the darkness, but I could still hear their cries. Blinding white lights shone in my eyes, the intense heat accelerating yet uncomfortable. The floor beneath me shook from the force of the bass, and drums crashed behind me. A guitar ripped through the cheers and sent hundreds of screams through the darkness. I glanced behind me, my heart racing and smiled at the guys behind me. Green, blue and, silver shined back at me. I turned back to the darkness, as the fans cheered.. and the bass, guitar and drums kicked into a melody I could sing to. The beats and music raced through my body, my heart drumming along to the beat. It touched every part of me, sending waves of a pleasure unknown and better then anything else I had ever ever experienced through my blood. I grasped the microphone with my hands and pulled it close to my lips. I took a breath.. and..

"Oi, wake up!"

Suddenly a cold wind blew my vision away and I groaned, rolling over onto my stomach. Pushing myself up, I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and growled at the boy beside me, "Ugh you bastard.. You ruined my dream!

"It's almost noon!" Inuyasha argued. His hair was matted and even his own amber eyes were clouded with exhaustion, "How long were you planning on sleeping for?"

I rolled my eyes and yawned, "Says the guy who only just woke up himself."

Inuyasha growled, folding his arms across his chest and glaring off down the river. I took it as a silent victory and crawled over to my bag to find a hair and tooth brush.

We had slept along a river bank, possibly the same river as the night before, but in a different location. The water was ice cold but crystal clear and gave a soothing gurgle throughout the night. The bank was mostly stone, but I had slept in a sleeping bag with Shippo beside the fire. Around us grew large shrubs and bushes, but not that many trees. Today the sky was an overcast shade of dark grey, the sun only barely filtering through to warm the earth.

I pulled the brush through my hair that had grown a few inches since being cut a few weeks ago, then along my matted tail. I finished brushing my teeth a moment later, and after putting that away, I sneaked over to Inuyasha to yank the brush through his own mangy locks.

Inuyasha yelped in pain as I hit the first knot, and I smirked.

"What the hell are you doing?" he shouted, snatching the brush from my hand.

"I'm fixing your hair," I replied, sitting on my knees behind him, "It's all knotted."

"So?"

"So, knotted hair should be brushed!"

"Leave my hair alone!"

"But I already did mine, and you look like a zombie!"

"I do not!"

"Do so! Or at least like a lion!"

"I'm not a lion or a zombie!"

"But you _look_ like one, Inuyasha."

"Kaori is right, you do look like a zombie," Shippo scrambled from a bush to our left, holding a large pink peach in his arm.

"Why you.." Inuyasha raised a fist and snarled at the kitsune.

"If you both are done." Miroku interrupted, clearing his throat. He too had stepped out of the bush after Shippo, holding a large peach himself, "We something."

A strange scent of human drifted from the peach, and Miroku turned it around. On the other side was a face, one unrested, aged, yet unconscious. A long lock of hair came from the top, one of which I hadn't noticed before, that turned my stomach. Shippo was holding one as well, but he handing his to Miroku, then raced to the river to rinse his hands.

"These are heads?" Inuyasha asked as we stood up to join the monk. Looking at it sent a chill through my spine. It was gross and extremely freaky.. It took all I could to keep my composure.

"Yes but I wonder if their even human.." Miroku explained. "There isn't even a trace of a mark from a cut, just this."

"So they're fake?"

"No.. I don't think so."

"Well it defian-"

"Defiantly has a human scent." I interrupted. Inuyasha growled at me, muttering something under his breath.

I noticed the monk watching us strangely. He had that strange smirkish I-Told-You-So look in his dark blue eyes and I returned it with a look I hoped he understood as shut up.

"Let's go investigate. We might even get a shikon fragment out of it," I said turning to grab my things.

"Why do you sense one?" Inuyasha asked, stalking after me.

"Mmm, I wonder.." I replied, much to his aggravation.

"BITCH ANSWER ME!"

"Sorry nobody by the name 'bitch' lives here."

"DAMMIT KAORI!"

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

We walked along a foggy path way along the river, Miroku and Shippo further ahead. Inuyasha walked beside me, his arms crossed over his chest, and his eyes closed. His nose was pointed slightly downwards, and he seemed to be in a sour mood.. as usual.

I rolled my eyes and sighed, looking onto the cliff face to my right. How come one day we'll be like, closer then fries stuck together, and others we'd be biting each other's heads off. One day it's all, true-heart-beating-blushie-dying-of-anticipation-and-joy confessions and the other is all, to hell with you..

"By the way.. Sorry about calling you a bitch."

I stopped, frozen in my own shock, and stared at him. He continued on walking like nothing happened. But then suddenly I was pointing and shouting, "You actually said sorry for once!"

He stopped and turned around, his face slightly annoyed, "Yeah I did, so what?"

I caught up with him and the pace continued, "That's.. slightly freaky.."

He growled, "Can't I be nice and not freak people out?"

I looked at him. He looked slightly embarrassed and irritated all at once. I shook my head, "With you.. probably not. But what's wrong with doing both? Scaring people is fuuun."

He looked at me, with an expression I couldn't comprehend, and I smiled mischievously back. This caused a small smile of his own to break out on his face and we looked away from each other. It didn't matter what happened before there still was always gonna be this awkwardness between us I know it.

"Oi.."

I looked around, finally noticing something I probably could have noticed long before. Inuyasha did the same. There were voices in the wind.. weak and tired voices.. My ears pointed forward toward the source of the noise and I turned my head in that direction. A tree was just up ahead, close to the river bank. As we got closer, I noticed heads growing from its branches.

"I.. It's got heads!" Shippo squeaked, leaping onto Inuyasha's shoulder.

"What? They talk! 'Kay now it's 100 times more creepy!" I grabbed Inuyasha's arm and threw it around my shoulder. I felt a force pull me closer to him, which I knew was just his own strength, but when I looked up he was watching the tree as if the kitsune and I were invisible to him at the moment.

"I'll find out their story," Miroku decided, walking ahead closer to them. Was it just me or did I detect a slight trace of rejection coming from him? He reached the tree and looked up at the faces, "What on earth happened to you?"

"We were eaten.." an old face replied, "by the Sennin..."

"A Sennin?"

"All of us, tired of this world," the old face explained, "..gave up on the village and came here. For this mountain, where the Sennin lives, was said to be paradise. But instead we were eaten by the Sennin called Toukajin."

"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed, "You all are a bunch of idiots, to think we'd fall for such a lame story!"

"Inuyasha!" I hissed, "Don't be mean!"

In turn Miroku whacked him on the head with his staff as I untangled myself from his arm, "Is that anyway to talk to these unfortunate people?"

"Please never mind his rudeness," I said, carefully, feeling awkward about talking to a head fruit.

"Not at all," the old face replied.

"Is there anything we can do for you?"

"It's to late for us.." he sighed. I felt sorry for him, no longer creeped out. All he wanted was a better life and he was tricked and let down.. In some weird way this reminded me of Kikyo, and the other fate she had shown me through a dream.. "However...there should be more of us who have not been eaten.. At least you can save them."

I heard a clattering above and searched the sky. Bones fell from the cliffs before us and landed by the roots of the tree. I leaped back in surprise and disgust, my body trembling a little.

"It.. It's human bones!" Shippo said.

"They're still fresh," Inuyasha added, as he took in the scent.

I growled and let my hands fall to my stomach, "Way to nauseate the girl with your details," I noticed a new head grow onto a branch and looked away. Really.. this was freaking gross man.

"That's the owner of the bones," the old one explained, "Our heads are called 'Ninmenka' or 'Human-Head Fruit'.. We are the medicine of eternal youth for Toukajin."

Inuyasha scoffed, then abruptly leaped up the cliff, "Call him what you want, he's a nasty yokai, isn't he!"

"Wait we'll come with you!" I shouted, snatching Shippo from where he fell.

"If I have to take you all the day will be over by then!"

I growled and I felt my ears pin themselves back, as he disappeared into the bushes above, "Does he not realize I'm perfectly capable of taking Shippo if he takes you, Miroku.. Erg again, mistaken for a human!"

"But don't you also want to finish this by night fall?" Shippo whispered in my ear, "Tonight's the new moon.."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

Upon a cliff surrounded by a thick and damp mist, sat a large palace shrine. It was very grand and large, with many rooms, most of them unused. A large round body munched greedily upon a fruit in one of the rooms facing off the cliff. The body was surrounded by small brown weasel-like creatures, dressed in brightly coloured kimonos.

The large mass of body fat was something inhuman. It's hair was a sea-weed green colour that was messy and fell down to his shoulders. He had large eyes with no real colour just large black pupils. There was no nose, but two snake like slits in the centre of his face for nostrils and large lips covered a set of razor sharp teeth.

"Hmph," Toukajin said to himself, "If I don't eat the fruit now and then, I get heartburn."

The sound of heavy footsteps brought his attention away from himself. A second later the wall along the cliff's edge burst and fell to pieces, kicked down by a boy with silver hair, dressed in a bright red kimono. A few of the weasel girls squealed in fear and ran for cover behind various large vases and bones.

"Hn? Looks like a stubborn and distasteful guy has appeared," Toukajin mumbled.

The boy cracked his knuckles, glaring at the inhuman mass, "So your that Sennin...? I'm here to exterminate you."

"Inuyasha!" A blue haired maiden came in after the boy, her eyes glistening in anger, "You idiot! WHO SAID YOU COULD GO ALONE!" Her dark ears were pinned back against her brightly coloured head, but they soon were alert and moving to every source of noise in the room. An onyx tail flicked in aggravation, but then was still as her eyes scanned the room. When they landed on the Sennin the pale crystal blue orbs narrowed and she braced herself, both hands on silver thin katanas at her hips.

Inuyasha turned back to the Sennin, having tried to ignore the loud girl the whole time, and pulled out a large sword that in no way could have fit into the small black scabbard it came from.

"So this is why you're fat?" he asked, sniffing the air, "You pretend to be a Sennin then stuff yourself full of people."

The girl disappeared from his side in a blurr.

"You wont escape Toukajin!" The boy shouted, running forward thrusting his sword toward the man. The girl flashed in front of him then away, obviously much faster, and they were both upon the stone-faced man in a matter of seconds. But with a loud clang, they were forced back, the weapons having done nothing to the mass.

"Ouch.." Toukajin whined, getting to his feet. The hanyo's faces flashed with panic as they took in the situation. Weapons were useless, "Stupids. I don't know what kind of yokai's you are, but did you really think you could defeat a Sennin?" He waved a wooden staff and in a panic Inuyasha shoved the girl out of the way and from the room.

The thing Inuyasha had panicked over were only mere flowers. He scoffed, "Flowers! Are you gonna use your pathetic flower power to kill me!"

"Why don't you take a good look at those flowers," Toukajin smirked. As he said it, suddenly to Inuyasha the flowers were 100 times bigger then they had been only seconds before. The girl outside watched wide eyed as her friend was now as small as her thumb, and was picked up then eaten by the youkai Sennin.

She growled, and braced to run, but as Toukajin turned to glare at her, she was gone.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

I ran from roof top to roof top searching for something to help me. There had to be some kind of weakness right? A sign to show me what made that Sennin the way he was and so powerful? I fell to land on what seemed like solid ground, but as my feet touched, I fell through the bushes and down numerous stone steps. I felt my muscles stiffen as the stone hit and bruised them, and hissed.

"Stupid.. Hidden.. Rooms.."

I looked around, my tail flicking from side to side. It was dark, and musty in there, with more vases and pots than the last room, but what made this different was a large wooden box in the centre. I stepped towards it, sniffing the air almost expecting some kind of yokai to jump out of it any moment. I peered inside. It was just a box garden, a pretty one at that.. I noticed a person walking lazily along one of the paths. Then a few more under trees.. near rivers... every where. People captured by Toukajin maybe?

But as I looked the garden quickly became bigger.. and bigger.. and bigger.. until just as I panicked and closed my eyes, I found herself inside. The air was sweet and warm, filled with the delicious scents of wild flowers and berries. I placed a hand on my chest to calm a beating heart, and got to my feet, brushing the dirt and grass from my jeans.. but as I did so I realized something. The shards, my shikon shards, weren't in my pocket anymore!

"Kaori!"

I looked around, my hands frozen on my pockets. Who could know me here? I saw many people, and the scenery of the box garden was more beautiful then I would have thought but I still couldn't see who could have called me. I looked the other way. There I noticed Miroku and Shippo running up towards me.

"Why are you guys here?" I asked once they were close enough.

"Shippo has unknown but very useful powers," Miroku informed me, panting slightly. His raven hair was loose and messy full of branches and leaves. Had they found this place just as I had? "but unfortunately, as they are unknown, they are rarely used and therefore unpractised. Half way through the flight Shippo lost the transformation and we fell down those steps."

Ahh, I was right.

"Where's Inuyasha?" Shippo asked, scrambling onto Miroku's shoulder.

I felt a wave of guilt rush through me, "While we were fighting, nothing, not even our swords could wound him, yeah we met the Sennin. He's large and really, extremely fat.. Anyways he made this spell using flowers that made Inuyasha shrink to about the size of my finger.. then the Sennin swallowed him.. I didn't know what to do so I ran to find some sort of weakness.. like a weapon of some sort or some weird spell scroll, anything.. I don't know.. but then I ended up here."

I felt a gentle hand land on my shoulder, "It's okay Kaori. Inuyasha would probably have wanted you to do so," Miroku reassured.

"But-!"

"Anyways, now we must find a way to escape this box garden. We can't be of much use from in here."

I pressed my lips together and nodded. Miroku was right. I looked at the sleeping or lazing people around me. They were all going to be eaten if they don't escape.. I leaped over to them, my legs feeling like large springs, and looked down upon them.

"Oi.. We're going to escape, and unless you do the same you're going to be eaten by the Sennin."

I was ignored.

"It's no use, Kaori-sama. We have already tried reaching out to everyone," said Miroku, as he came up to me, "But they all seem to be under some sort of spell, caused from consuming the fruit or water here."

I glanced towards the people who were picking fruit or bent over by the stream. Each set of eyes were unfocused and cloudy. They were like living zombies.

"So if we don't eat or drink we'll survive, right?" Shippo asked, slight hysteria to his voice. His small claws, I noticed, dug into Miroku's shoulder and the scent of panic leaked from him. Poor guy.

"If we don't eat or drink we'll die eventually anyway," Miroku reminded him.

"Oh noooo!" Shippo cried.

"It's alright. We've gotten out of tougher situations," I also reminded, shooting Miroku a warning glance.

"Kaori! The sky!" Shippo yelped. My head snapped up. Dark clouds were forming in shape of a small twister, and from that twister came a large fatty arm reaching down to the garden.

"Let's grab it!" I said, not realizing what I had said until after.

"Right! It's now or never," Miroku agreed.

We ran toward the hand scoping up the zombified men and grabbed onto the flesh. The hand pulled up and I felt like I was being sucked into a large vacuum. It took all my strength not to fall off. But then it stopped and I heard the deep voice of that Sennin gasp in delighted surprise.

"It's that girl!" he cried. I felt something large pinch my tail and I snarled as I was lifted up into the air, the pain not something to be enjoyed. I growled up at the large ugly face of the Sennin and he just smiled greedily down at me.

"Today is a good day," he said to himself. "First I get the rare meat of that hanyo brat, and now a young maiden," he moved his hand which made me swing back and forth slightly, and another finger tapped my head just about crushing my ears, "This girl looks like a hanyo as well.. Well obviously she would be, what else would be together with a hanyo besides another hanyo?"

I growled at him and struggled to scratch him with my claws, "I'll kill you! You stupid cannibal monster! Where is Inuyasha?"

He chuckled, "You're sure a feisty one. Eating you this small would be a waste."

His other hand grabbed me around the waist.. squeezed.. and suddenly I was thrust into complete darkness..

When I woke up the strong scent of sake hit me like a title wave and my eyes snapped open. I was what looked to be inside of a dark kitchen, full of the weasel and even a few baboon women, all cooking and bustling away.. some were staring at me their black eyes watching reproachfully yet.. jealously? I looked down at myself and yelped, covering up anything that I could. I was.. naked.. in a shallow bath of sake that only reached my waist sitting down.. what was this? Marination process? I twisted my tail around my lower half and now I was glad I had one. It's perfect as a make-shift last minute skirt.. but still kinda uncomfortable.. ugh. I couldn't see my clothes anywhere..

But I saw a door. Yes! I splashed towards it, but as I placed my hands on the stone edge of the bath, a baboon girl swung around, her hand grasping onto a sharp axe.. My ears pinned themselves back and I let my hands fall back into the water, moving away from her.

But as I did the door suddenly burst apart, throwing the baboon into the air. The scent of blood hit my sharp nose and as the dust cleared I saw Inuyasha panting in the doorway.

"Kaori!" he shouted, just before his eyes landed on me.

"I-Inuyasha!" Oh thank god.

For some reason he stood there, gaping at me his mouth hanging wide... for who knows how long. My tail twitched uncertainly and suddenly I remembered my bare state. I screamed and dropped down into the water covering my chest with my arms. My face burned, burned so hot and hard in embarrassment, that it could have been on fire. Oh goddd...

I peaked over the stone. He was sitting on the ground.. well more like had just collapsed. I noticed, regrettably, that he was no longer hanyo. His raven hair was wet with sweat and blood. His silver eyes were wide, staring unfocused at the ground, his face as red as his kimono. Covered in blood I realized injuries adorned almost every part of him.. and his kimono was torn or dissolved in a few places.. I wasn't worried about that really.. it regenerated but..

I hopped out of the bath, carefully covering my parts as best I could and stepped towards him, "Inuyasha.. Are you okay?"

He jumped in surprise and seemed to snap back to his old self.

"Keh! It's just a scratch!" He took off the crimson kimono shit and tossed it in my direction, careful not to look anywhere near me, "Put that on. Though it may feel strange, it being covered in blood and all.."

I didn't know what to say.. I wanted to say something but.. I threw it on and tied it so it would fit. Then as if by instinct I dropped to my knees beside him, leaned over and kissed his cheek, "If it's your blood I don't care.."

The words escaped my lips and sent another wave of blushes through him. I smiled. I sniffed the air and listened hard. There had to be a way out right?

"Can you walk?" I asked. His eyes had closed. He looked like he was sleeping. I pressed my lips together and brushed away a strand of raven hair from his face. Had it already been about two months? Two months since I reentered this world? One month since those.. confessions.. I shook my head, now wasn't the time to get lost in the past. I knew already I meant something to him, I should just leave it as that and not think about it too much.. To prevent more drama.

"Kaori, I would think it would be better to not have Inuyasha move around too much."

I looked down. Standing on Inuyasha's arm was Miroku and Shippo, still in their miniature size..

"But Miroku, we can't exactly stay here! The Sennin could be anywhere! Even at the top of those steps!" Shippo squeaked.

What exactly had gone on while I was unconscious?

"When's sun rise..?" Inuyasha's voice was low and it startled me at first. He looked like he was in a lot of pain..

"I.. I don't know I haven't been able to look," I replied.

He growled lightly and raised one of his hands to come down on my head, then rest there, "Use your nose, stupid."

My eyes closed and I took in a deep breath.

"Now what do you smell."

"Your blood."

He growled, "Other then that!"

I exhaled sharply then took another breath, "Cool crisp and fresh air.. nicer then usual actually.." My ears twitched and I picked up a soft chirping sound, "Crickets.. It's still night."

He sighed and looked away from me, letting his hand fall from the top of my head. I never really knew night actually had a scent.. I didn't even know that my senses -even though sharper then a human's- could pick it up from this far.. I looked at Inuyasha in a different way then before. Where the hell would I be if I didn't have him to teach me these things?

"Okay here's what we're gonna do," he started.

An instinct told me he was gonna tell me to escape on my own, "No!"

He paused, then glared at me, "You don't even know what I'm going to say!"

"You're going to tell me to run off on my own, with the mini-mes here! I know it, so don't deny! One, at the moment, I am the strongest person in this group. And two, if you think you can take down that guy by yourself when he now most likely has found my jewel shards that I lost, yes I lost them, you're wrong and he will kill you!"

"Is someone there?"

A whisper echoed through the tunnel, and I was distracted from the argument. Who in the world could that be? It didn't sound like the Sennin.. A few moments later we were struggling up the steps.. Inuyasha being barely able to walk and supporting a unstable grown boy is not exactly the easiest thing to do.. even if you're a hanyo.

We followed the whispering calls to a small room, much like the others. The only difference was a small pot in the middle of the room. In it grew a white flower and in the middle of the petals was a old man's ancient face. The face was full of wrinkles and very pale. Long snowy locks covered his head, and a large white moustache and beard covered most of his face. Inuyasha leaned off of me, as his silver eyes locked onto the strange flower.

"How many years has it been.. since I've head another's voice?" the plant sighed to itself.

I stepped cautiously over to him, "Were you eaten too?"

"It was my mistake.." he replied, gazing up at me with dark chocolate eyes. I felt a ache sympathy for this old guy in my heart, "..teaching a person like that my wizardry.."

"You're a Sennin as well?" I drew back. Had he been a cannibal too?

"While it shames me to say," he confessed, "I was Toukajin's master."

Inuyasha's hands were around the plant's stem in an instant, "You bastard!"

"Inuyasha!"

"I'm amazed to hear you're a Sennin!" he spat, " Why did you teach that man-eating yokai your wizardry!"

"That guy.. Toukajin.." The old man wheezed, "Is not a yokai. In fact, he was just an ordinary human.."

But before the plant sennin could continue the doors we'd come through only moments before burst open. Toukajin, grey as his body was now stone, stood in the door way. Inuyasha and I jumped to our feet, and I pulled out my katanas in a second.

"Hehehehe! You bastards!" Toukajin laughed, "You came to this damn place.."

I blinked. Seven jewel shards. Ugh, why hadn't I noticed it before? The feeling of jewel shards had always been near, and I'd seen them in him when we first fought him. He did have my jewel shards just as I had guessed, but I should really learn to remember these things..

"Keh! This guy was once human!" Inuyasha shouted, struggling to stay on his feet, "Don't make me laugh!"

"I've heard that humans can transform into yokai," Miroku said from Inuyasha's injured shoulder, "In his case, the evil of his mind was very strong."

Toukajin laughed, "Quit your blabbering," he raised that wooden staff once more, "I just wanted to be stronger!" He swung it, and a bright golden flash shot like lighting toward Inuyasha. My legs moved on their own and I pushed him out of the way. Pain rippled through my back as we landed on the ground, and the scent of my own blood flooded my nose. Damnit..

"Kaori!" Inuyasha gasped, grabbing my arms and helping me to my knees.

"S'nothing I can't handle," I mumbled. Which was true. But, damn, it still hurt.

"Human's are just too pathetic," Toukajin explained as he watched us. I growled and tightened my grip on the katanas, "They're weak and cunning.. They slave away in filth from morning to night, only to grow old and die. Both my mother and my father wasted away like that. I wasn't going to live in such a pathetic way.. Which is why I became an apprentice to that stupid Sennin. After I had trained for a couple of years and mastered some of the spells.. I studied the scrolls in secret while the master was away.. I learned that the quickest way to become a Sennin was to understand the spells and eat the Sennin's meat.."

I cringed inside and rolled my eyes. Why did just about every guy we have to fight, wants to tell us his life story! Like damn I don't really careee! You would really think they would just want to kill us and never mind the narration.

"However, for the final spell, the medicine of eternal youth, seems that the only way to make it was in the old man's head, which is why I let his head continue on living like that."

A snarl vibrated from the back of my throat and I got to my feet. My hands twitched as they held my swords, wanting so desperately to destroy this pathetic being before me.. "You're disgusting. Eating others just for your own personal gain.."

"What's wrong with the strong eating the weak? Just as a snake eats a frog," Toukajin retorted.

I laughed darkly. The sickness of this situation.. fuelled the darkness inside. I was pleased to know this guy was going to die. This feeling scared me.. but I loved it so terribly, "But what's the point of telling you what you do is sickening?" I mused, "You'll never understand. You're too corrupted in your own mindset that what you do is right and okay. I'm a hanyo. But haven't been all my life. As a child I was suppressed into human form by some freak spell or incident. And I was sickened and disappointed in the body I held, so I can understand this thirst for strength."

I felt eyes burning a hold through my back. But ignored them. He can ask his questions about my sanity later.

"But guys like you make me sick.."

"Hmm? Are you trying to lecture me? A dirty, injured hanyo girl?"

I chuckled darkly. Fighting really wasn't healthy for me was it..? I grabbed a pot full of bones to my left, the pain in my back all but forgotten, "Oh.. I'll do more then just that."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

Inuyasha gazed at Kaori, dark energy churning around her body from head to toe. This wasn't good. He'd noticed this corruption over the past few times. Every time she fought, around the time with the oni drawings he first realized it.. She enjoyed this way too much. Her pleasure off bloodshed wasn't normal. But he couldn't say anything now. She was their only hope.. he as was no disposition to fight and nor was Miroku..

Kaori grabbed a maroon clay pot filled to the rim with the bones of humans eaten before. "Oh.. I'll do more then just that."

As the worlds fled her lips, the pot blurred and shattered against Toukajin's body. Then she was running, her body blurring with every step. Katanas flew out, gleaming gold. Kaori reached the 'humans' belly and reached for the shikon shards stuffed between the folds of his stone flesh. But as she stretched, her dark corruption slowly trickling away as she inched closer to the scared slivers of the jewel.

Toukajin's arms clamped around her neck. He flipped her over his shoulder, hurling her toward the wall.

But wickedness grew. She twisted around and absorbed the shock of the throw with her feet. The wood barely creaked. A dark toothy grin was plastered against her face before she launched herself from the wall. She blurred around him, the sound of clanging metal and the flashes of gold slowly seeping into red, made her attempts clear.

Again she was thrown back. This time she thrust a red sparkling katana into the floor as she slid, until she came to a complete stop. Another clay pot, green this time, was standing unsteadily behind her, and as her tail flicked, it knocked it over, forcing its contents all over the floor.

Heads and.. water?

As the moisture splashed and spilt, Kaori snapped from her trance and looked down at the puddle she was kneeling in.

"Drink a bit of that medicine," The flower Sennin instructed.

"You want me to drink head juice! That's just disgusting!" the girl exclaimed.. Yeah.. she was defiantly snapped out of it.

"Toukajin made it.. It's an imitation of the secret eternal youth medicine," the flower sighed, "However.. despite being a mere imitation it can still heal wounds instantly and temporarily increase strength."

She gazed at the Sennin for a moment, her eyes wide and blinking guiltlessly, "Why would I need it? Sure I maybe injured but I'm stronger then I appear. Besides.." she looked away, " I'd rather die right now then drink something made from human flesh.."

She got to her feet and cleaned the sweat from her brow, "I wont loose to someone like him."

Toukajin beamed, "Sounds like fun."

"It does, doesn't it?" Kaori jerked forward in an astonishing burst of speed. Toukajin's lower body converted into thorny vines and lashed out toward her, wounding her in numerous places. She didn't scream out in pain like Inuyasha'd expected her to, but instead grabbed onto Toukajin's wooden staff. Blood was soaking through the fabric of Inuyasha's kimono but she ignored the pain. Bright blue eyes flashed crimson, and she threw back the stone man.

Kaori crushed the staff in her fists, then resumed battle positions. It wasn't over yet. In a rage Toukajin lunged toward her, and this time she wasn't quick enough. Her arm cracked and a hiss of pain flooded the room. It was broken.

"Kaori!" Inuyasha shouted, rushing over to her. She shook her head, but was silent.

"Girl, you wont win with mere brute force.." The Sennin whispered. His pot had been knocked over, and the plant was laying limp upon the floor. "You have sacred powers even though you are part yokai, I can sense them.. So pleas... please do everything in your power, I beg you somehow.. for me and all those who have been eaten.."

In a soft glow of light, which glided forward and dissolved into the hanyo girl's arm, the flower was gone. Kaori flexed and stretched the once broken limp, "It's mended.."

She turned her back to the raven haired Inuyasha and toward the stone yokai once more. She blinked and forced herself into tunnel vision to see the shards. Sleek katanas glowed once more, transforming into a silver bow and diamond arrow. She aimed. Fired.

The arrow pierced the stone body and forced it to crack, letting the shards fall from it's strong hold. Toukajin snarled, anger now burning in his veins. "Girl.. I'll kill you!"

He lunged toward her, but the human boy pushed in front.

"Foolish human!" The stone man laughed shoving Inuyasha from his way, breaking a few bones in the process.

"Inuyasha!" Kaori shouted, concern for him over-powering her will to run.

"Kaori get down!"

And suddenly.. Toukajin was falling from the window.. into a deep cavern..

Kaori's heart quickened and she spun around leaning her body out of the shattered wall. The last thing she saw was raven head falling along side the stone yokai, "INUYASHA!"

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

I rushed down the cliff face, leaping head first into the darkness. No.. No.. No.. This couldn't be happening. Why was he so stupid? Why did he have to do that! It wasn't even necessary! If I had been thrown from the top I would have survived.. I wasn't human. He was. I hoped that by some miracle he survived this fall.. Please.. God.. Who ever is up there.. Don't take him from me..

I reached the bottom. It was cool and damp, the sun only just barely rising above the trees. Ugh, if only he had waited a few more seconds to launch himself from the cliff.. I saw Toukajin's large body laying lifelessly on the ground. My ears perked as I listened for a heart beat.. Nothing. I could smell his blood, and the blood of Inuyasha. But my eyes couldn't detect a slight figure or sign that he was around.

"Crushed beneath Toukajin..?" Miroku muttered from beside me. Because of Toukajin's death the spell had broken and both the monk and Shippo returned to normal size. A cold chill shot through my body and I dropped to my knees. I reached under the heavy corpse and rolled it over. Nothing.

"I can't believe you just did that.." said the monk, a slight hint of disgust in his voice. My hands were now covered in the cannibal's blood but that didn't matter to me. We had to find him. I could smell him, all around, but I couldn't see him at all...

"Waahh! Inuyasha's dead!" Shippo cried. I flinched, "He had horrible wounds..! And then he fell from that height in a human body.. There's no way he could have survived!"

"Don't cry Shippo," Miroku sighed, patting the kitsune's orange head. "We'll hold a memorial service.. Inuyasha had achieved his goal, surely. Even if it meant exchanging his life.. he wanted to save Kaori-sama."

"Shut up.." My voice came out barely over a whisper and I sounded so vulnerable. The boys looked at me with minor shock plastered across their faces, "That idiot.. I could have survived this fall.. maybe barely but still.. he didn't need to save me.. Saying he died to save my life just makes me feel guilty.." I pulled a katana from its sheath and stared at it.. turning blade over every time my unfamiliar light blue eyes shone back at me.. I missed my green...

"Kaori!" Miroku's hands grabbed my arms and held them back, "Killing yourself is not the answer! He died to save you, why would you put those efforts to waste!"

I growled and pulled free, "Who said I was going to suicide!" I ran toward the fruit head bearing tree and in a fit of anger whipped the katana at the trunk. It hit and cut right through. My breath came out heavy and laboured as I glared at the bobbing hilt. Damnit do something.. worse.. violent! Abruptly a flash of red exploded from the centre of the trunk and the tree fell over, cut clean from the place my sword had hit.

I felt a little better.

"Kaori you bitch! Are you trying to kill me!" Inuyasha's aggravated shout came from behind. My body froze.

"Inuyasha your alive!" Shippo cheered, "and half-demon again!"

"Keh! Sorry to disappoint you."

"And what are you so sour about?" Miroku asked.

"There's no way I'd drop dead that easily. Worrying over me is pointless."

My hand grasped my other katana and pulled it out. The sound of the metal sliding against the hilt shutting up the boys behind me. I sensed the hostile curiosity.. Wet trails ran down my face but I laughed, "Heh, pointless huh..?"

I whipped around, "I'll give you something to worry about!" And I was fighting, purposely missing, but relief and aggravation was running through my veins. His hysterical protests and questions of my sudden outburst shot from his mouth but I ignored them.. Saying it was pointless.. That idiot!


	20. Sango

A/N ~ (15/10/2010): Dates: october 30th - november 1st

* * *

**You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.**

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I Do Not Own Inuyasha

* * *

20. Sango

"Corruption you say?"

We were back in the village, Inuyasha had insisted we go. If I had knew it would have been about this I wouldn't have agreed. We were inside Kaede's hut, sitting around her cooking pot, talking about my fighting style.

"Oh so what?" I growled, "I get a little bloodlusty when I fight. Big deal.."

"It's not just a little," Inuyasha growled back.

"Inuyasha is right, Kaori-sama," Miroku piped in, "I sensed the dark energy as well."

I huffed and turned my back to them. How stupid..

"Kaori is there something wrong?" Kaede asked, "Ye seem more easily agitated then before."

"It's nothing," I growled.

"By your tone I cannot agree."

I rolled my eyes.

"Maybe she's having one of those girl month things..?" I heard Inuyasha mutter. Miroku muttered back in agreement.

I looked up at them, and I saw their bodies tense and their eyes flood with fear.

"We weren't saying it was because of that, Kaori-sama!" Miroku sputtered in response to my silent anger, "It was merely a suggestion.."

"Shut up," I snapped.

"Alright."

My eyes swept over them and I left the hut. I really didn't know my problem but.. numerous things were bugging me. First what happened this morning. Second, that nobody even mentioned to Kaede that Kikyo was around.. I stopped walking and turned around, running back into the hut and ripping the paper door off the frame as I did so.

"Oh! And by the way!" I said in a sarcastically cheerful tone, "I just learned from Kikyo, a few days ago actually, THAT I'M A NOTHING!" Now I left for real this time.

"Wait! Kaori!" Kaede called. She ran after me and grabbed onto my sleeve. I sighed loudly.

"What?"

"What did Onee-sama say to ye?"

"Ohh nothing really. Just that I'm a descendant of some person named Midoriko, and that my real mother never wanted me and dumped me off here with the Shikon No Tama because I was a hanyo.. Oh yeah and apparently I'm a soul stealer now."

Kaede sighed, "This was not how I wanted ye to find out.."

I laughed, and blinked away angry tears, "Yeah, because you were planning on never letting me find out at all right? You always keep things from me. You and Inuyasha. I hate it. I deserve to know things too, I'm apart of this as much as you are."

Her wise chocolate eyes looked up at me, and held my gaze for who knows how long. Finally she signed and took my hand, leading me back to the hut. "Alright Kaori, no more secrets."

I was told everything I already knew. The words Kaede spoke were of the same context as Kikyo's, but said with less anger and malice. My mother abandoned me. I was a true born hanyo. The Shikon No Tama belonged to me. A priestess Midoriko was my ancestor, creator of the jewel. Everything I already heard before. Well except for one thing..

"What about my father?" I asked.

Kaede looked at me for a moment. I didn't know why.. but the sensation was killing me. It made me feel anxious yet exhilarated at the same time.

"I do not know anything of ye's father, Kaori," Kaede admitted. I felt my last strand of hope disappear. Not even my real father wanted me, "But I do know of a place where you can find out more of Midoriko."

My ears perked up at these words.

"There is a village of taijiya to the north. That village is where the Shikon No Tama originated and where the body of Midoriko rests. Also.." she gazed at me appraisingly, "They may be able to help ye control ye's demonic instincts and teach ye better swordsmanship."

"Are you sure about that, Kaede-sama?" Miroku challenged, "They are yokai taijiya, I've heard of them as well. But since they make a living out of killing yokais how can we be so sure that they will be willing to help us?"

"I'm sure they will have no problem with dealing with the long lost great granddaughter of Midoriko. Also, rumour has it that they might have a few shikon fragments as well."

The following day we set off. But today was different. There wasn't much, but a soft dust of snow covered everything. It was like faeries had come to play sprinkling all their dust over the village. I let out a small childish laugh as Shippo and I spun with the small spirals of fluff the wind produced. It was beautiful and to make everything better I wasn't even cold!

But the snow did not last long. Of course once the sun had made it's way higher into the sky the white fluff had disappeared to water. I sighed. I wished it had snowed more. Now I was at the back of the group, watching at the ground trying to collect my thoughts.

I knew who I was.. or wasn't. I knew that I was Midoriko's great granddaughter or something, maybe even more far back then just one great. I knew that neither my father nor my mother had come back for me. I grimaced. I wasn't that young when she had left.. It seems.. So why didn't I remember her? I closed my eyes and tried to think of a older brunette woman with sparking green eyes. Maybe an older version of me.. but no maternal face appeared.

I sighed again and turned my gaze to the boy at the head of the group. I knew more now. I already knew that supposedly Kikyo and Inuyasha had deceived each other. They were fooled. However if they were misled.. that would mean he can now let go of all the bitterness towards her. right? _"There hasn't been one since day where I've forgotten you!"_ Ugh, who am I kidding? He doesn't hate her ever.

I shook my head. Why was I thinking about this again? I knew that I wasn't just Kikyo's little sister to him anymore.. or was ever just that. But then what exactly? I stared at him again, as if the back of his head would give me the answer. Of course it didn't. But just before I could look away, Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder. Our eyes met and instantly he was at my side. The monk and kitsune payed no concern to this abrupt movement. I guess they were used to it by now.

"Why were you staring at me?" Inuyasha inquired.

"Er.. no reason I was just thinking," I admitted.

He gazed at me suspiciously, and my face grew red. Damnit! Why do I have to blush? "About?"

"Huh?"

"What were you thinking about?" he repeated, slightly aggravated.

"Why do you care?" I challenged.

"Just tell me, damnit!"

"Fine! I was just thinking about who I am and where exactly we stand."

He was silent for a moment and I looked away. He must think it was pitiful of me to always have my mind on that subject. I let my head hang and shut my eyes. I didn't wanna have to talk about this again, "Nevermind. Sorry for always bothering you with this."

He didn't reply. I exhaled and peeked up at him from under my lashes. He wasn't looking at me either. I scowled and quickened my pace, leaving him behind at the back of the group.

"Kaori..." Shippo whined.

"Hm?" I took him in my arms and let him crawl to my shoulder.

"Are you sure we're going the right way?"

"I might have to agree with Shippo," Miroku looked at me with a strange expression. I wondered if he heard our conversation, "Everyone we've passed by and asked for directions have said they didn't know."

"Yes they did!" I protested. "They said 'somewhere in the mountains' so that's where we're going! Somewhere in the mountains."

"Inuyasha, do you intend to steal the shikon fragments from the taijiya's village?" Shippo asked. I hadn't realized he had caught up with me.

"Of course I do," Inuyasha scoffed, brushing past us. I shivered.. but in the good way.

"Hopefully he wont be exterminated in the process," Miroku muttered.

"He better not," I replied, "Or else I'll miss my chance to learn about my family," But just to learn about my family wasn't all of it. I also wanted to know why the jewel was created.. I'm sure Inuyasha wanted to know too.

We continued on for a moment but then a feeling of something evil rushing towards us made me stop in my tracks. Was was this? It felt horrible.. like something bad was about to happen.

"What's this?" Miroku watched the sky. "This wind feels bad.."

I heard a rumbling in the distance. It felt like something was coming.. and a lot of them. All of a sudden a dark black cloud appeared, spreading youki as it flew past.

"A swarm of yokai!" Inuyasha gasped as he noticed it too. I looked closer focusing more on the large dark mass. My eyes picked out many different kinds of yokai, most of them were low class, but some of them were more powerful.

I shuddered, "This doesn't feel like ordinary youki either.."

"It certainly feels like something awful is about to happen," Miroku stated.

Inuyasha sniffed the air and I followed, catching and feeling the same scents he did, "They're out to kill."

"Let's go!"

We pursued the mass deeper and deeper inside the forest. Branches scratched at my face as Inuyasha and I took the lead, Miroku not following too far behind. He was able to run fast, faster than any ordinary human. I guess his monkish powers helped him to do so. I don't know how long we ran for, tracking the dark mass as it flew across the sky but it was dark before we finally reached a break in the trees. We stumbled onto a large wooden wall, having lost the yokai hours ago, but the youki still lingered and the scent of fresh blood coated the area.

"A fortress?" Shippo questioned, as we stepped closer. The wall was made of tall logs pointing upright to the sky. A few sentry towers stood out along it, but I could see no archers within.

I glanced toward Inuyasha. He for sure smelt the fresh blood just as I, the look on his face made it clear, "This was the location of the attack," I informed the others as we advanced to a neatly broken part in the wall -which could only been seen as a door.

Inuyasha nodded, "The scent of blood is everywhere, fresh at that."

We leaped ahead, rushing into the fortress at the same moment. It was gruesome. Blood soaked into the earth making it black. Arrows and spears stuck out from every surface. The place was full of dead corpses. I felt like crying.

"They fought.. with the yokai.. huh?" Miroku mumbled. I didn't look at him to read his expression.. My eyes lingered on the lifeless bodies of countless people.

"Most of them died fighting their enemies," said Inuyasha, keeping a hand on Tetsusaiga, "There's no mistake this fortress is.."

"The taijiya's village." I finished. I felt everyone's gaze on me, but I kept my eyes on the village. I didn't know how I felt.. I just, I don't know, felt empty.. like all the life had just been sucked right out of me. I felt like I had nothing to live for.

A twig snapped. Katanas and Tetsusaiga flew out before Miroku even had registered that there was someone there.

A large cat stood before us, a yokai carcass clutched within her large fanged mouth. She was bigger than a horse, with two tails and cream coloured fur. Her bright scarlet eyes glared at us from where she stood and she let out a low growl.

"A surviving yokai, huh!" Inuyasha scoffed.

"That voice is.. Inuyasha-sama!" Meoga-jii-chan's voice came from the neko's fur, "Calm down, Kirara. These people aren't the enemy."

The neko yokai closed her eyes. All of a sudden she was engulfed in flame. The flames dwindled then dissolved, only to reveal a small cat, slightly larger than your average neko. My heart thudded against my chest. She was so adorable..

"Inuyasha-sama!" Meoga leaped from the kitten's back and straight towards Inuyasha's face, "Long time no see!" The flea latched onto his nose and Inuyasha growled, slapping his own face to swish him.

"Meoga-jijii.." he muttered as Meoga dropped to his palm.

"Where have you been?" I probed. When was the last time I'd seen him? He seemed to just magically disappear, I hadn't even noticed up till now.

"An acquaintance?" Miroku questioned.

"He's Inuyasha's adviser.. sort of." Shippo explained.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

"That's right. This is the hidden village of the youkai taijiya." Meoga explained as we slowly cleaned up the village. Miroku dug graves, Inuyasha gathered the corpses and Shippo and I would gather flowers and take arrows out of the surrounding area. It was tiring, "The people of this village have been here for many generations, and the yokai taijiya came to make a living."

"I can see why the yokai would resent them.." Inuyasha replied as he and Miroku covered dirt over another villager.

"However.." Meoga scratched his head, "It's surprising that they happen to attack now.."

"Hn?"

"Several of the fighters were called to Saru castle, so the village was left vulnerable when it was attacked. I have a bad feeling about this. I wonder if the people over at the castle are alright," He then sighed and we lasped into an uncomfortable silence.

"It's a tragedy." Miroku finally said after a few moments of praying for the buried villagers. I silently placed a bunch of yellow flowers on top of the graves as he spoke. "There was so much I wanted to ask these people."

I felt more looks of sympathy on my back.

"Meoga-Jijii.." Inuyasha said after a moment, "You know something, don't you?"

My tail twitched and my ears turned themselves back to catch this conversation more easily. Damn animal parts giving away my interest..

"About the Shikon no tama?" Meoga asked.

"Well you _did_ come here to investigate the jewel, right?" Shippo said.

"That's right," Meoga admitted, "I've been wondering for a long time. Just what are the origins of the Shikon No Tama..? At any rate, all who are influenced by the jewel meet a tragic fate in the end. I have been worrying about what would happen to Inuyasha-sama.."

"What the.." I heard Inuyasha say, "I always thought you'd run away, because of all the danger we were getting into."

"I.. Inuyasha-sama!" Meoga gasped, "How can you say that, when we've finally been so fatefully reunited!"

"Then why didn't you ever come back on your own?"

"You didn't think about looking for us?" Shippo asked, "Couldn't be bothered to?"

The flea was silent.

"That hit the mark, huh?"

I couldn't help but laugh, and I lay down my last flower to join the rest. Inuyasha gave me a mischievous little grin as I placed myself beside him and I beamed up at him in return. What would I do without them?

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

I sat on a broken roof top staring up at the moon. The stars glittered against the black sky and the cold bit at my ears and nose but I tried my best to ignore it. The effect caused by the humorous antics of the boys wore of just as everyone had fallen asleep and I was left alone once more. This village had been my last chance. How in the world was I going to find out who I was now? I guess I could just live my life, go with the flow, and just not worry about this any longer, but the idea seemed hard to accomplish. But I guess knowing who I am was just something I needed to learn how to live without.

I thought back over the last few months as I lowered myself onto my back and closed my eyes. I remembered when I first came here. When I first saw Inuyasha again, pinned to that tree. I had done a good job of burning that image into my mind. I still remember every bit of that. I still remembered how careful I was, how slowly I moved, and how my fingers tingled where it touched. I'd do anything just to be able to get that close innocently and do it all over again. We've been arguing so much, and then Kikyo coming back into the picture.. seemed to have torn away all the innocent.

Maybe.. maybe I think the last time I had been able to get close to him innocently was when I was sick.. or well cursed. Maybe I should get cursed again..

I shook my head. Ugh, what was I thinking? What was my problem? Why did all these things matter to me so much? It was irritating! I wanted to go back to that innocent love and worship of something greater than I.. but going back to that seemed impossible. I sighed. I really wish life wasn't so complicated.

I ran my fingers over the seven shards around my neck. How many had we encountered I started off with one.. then we got Yura's shard.. But then after we got Yura's shard Naraku stole the two I had.. Koga has three and so did the birds, so we got two from that.. Hm, I wonder what happened to him.. but anyways the spider heads didn't have one I don't think, Miroku had three... Ink boy had one, Toukajin.. yeah so we have collected seven.. Ugh so sad. Only seven? Well we knew Koga had two and Naraku had a lot. But where the hell was Koga anyway? Didn't he say I was his woman or something? If this is how he treats his women then damn, I've lost so much respect for him now.. not that I had any to begin with.

I sighed and my thoughts drifted back to Inuyasha. I growled at myself, banishing them away. Stop thinking about it, Kaori! Ugh, why was I plagued with such miserable thoughts! Why can't I just let things be?

His voice rang in my ears. _"There hasn't been one since day where I've forgotten you!"_ Was he tormented with constant thoughts of her as I was of him? But that was acceptable.. He loved her, so it's only natural. The way I love him is different.. isn't it? I thought back over the shivers, the jealousy, the guilt, the tears.. fearing his death, blushing when our eyes met.. The constant need to know what we mean to each other...

"What are you doing?"

I yelped and my eyes snapped open. Inuyasha was bent over my head, watching me with the most curious expression on his face. His amber eyes seemed to be glowing and his silver hair reflected off the moon beams. Several strands fell over his shoulder and down to my face, tickling my nose. I blushed and sat up. Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear. Er.. well, think of him anyway.

"I was thinking, again" I admitted. He lowered himself down beside me, and I made sure that our eyes didn't meet. Why did he have to pop up right when I had been thinking something embarrassing? Why couldn't he have shown up before? "Err.. how long had you been watching me?"

He shrugged and I frowned. Well that's helpful.

"What were you thinking about?" he asked after a moment.

"Why are you asking this question again?" I sighed. Really? Why was this so important?

"You looked all frustrated and then your face went red. Anyone would be curious about that!"

"Why the hell have you been watching me! No wait. How often do you do this?"

He shrugged again. I growled and he looked down at me, "Your stupid sleep talking keeps me up all night!"

"I do not talk in my sleep!" I protested.

"Yes you do!"

"No I don't!"

"Yes you do!"

"No I don't!"

"Yes you do!"

"Okay fine!" I snapped. "Just for the sake of this argument, what exactly do I say in my sleep!"

His eyes darked and he looked away grudgingly. I felt a smirk grow on my face. So he admits he's lying?

"You say that you love people a lot."

My smirk disappeared. "What?"

He exhaled sharply. "Ever since that night when we brought you back from Koga's place, you've been saying 'aishiteru' a lot! It's almost every night! It's god damn annoying!"

"Saying it to who..?" I mumbled, my face growing red. Oh god this can't be good.. Usually my dreams are of him.. Damnit, damnit, damnit!

"I don't know! You've never said any names!"

A sigh of relief escaped my lips. Thank god!

"But if you've been dreaming about that stupid wolf, I swear I'll kill him," he threatened.

"Oh yeah that reminds me.. Where has Koga been?" I asked, changing the subject. He seemed slightly relived but still aggravated. "He claims I'm his woman then takes off and never comes back! What kind of behaviour is that!"

Inuyasha looked away from me again, glaring at the horizon. I looked where he was and saw nothing. "Helloo, I did ask a question.. It's helpful if you at least responded."

"That stupid mangy wolf can go burn in hell for all I care," he growled. There was something about this behaviour.. Something that seemed suspicious..

I gasped, "Oh god, wait! After I left to go home when we met up with him at the village, when you disappeared! You came back and did something didn't you?"

He didn't respond.

"You did! What did you do! Don't tell me you killed him!" I shouted.

"I didn't kill him!" he yelled back, "While you were gone and doing whatever, I did go back! I told him you ran away again because you weren't in 'your world'.. I haven't seen him since then! But damnit why do you care? You haven't even noticed until now!"

"Oh so that's why? Damnit Inuyasha why did you have to go do that? He could be in Russia searching for me!"

"So! The farther the way that bastard is the better!"

"Ugh, you may think that but I for one don't agree!"

"Why the hell not!"

"Because it's mean for one!"

"Who cares?"

"I do!"

Our faces were inches apart. I flushed as I realized and pulled away. I remembered Kikyo's words. _"Your behaviour so far these past few months is inexcusable."_ She must have meant things like this. Things like the awkward, affectionate, meaningless moments Inuyasha and I sometimes shared.

"What?" Inuyasha asked, the anger no longer in his tone.

"Nothing. I'm going to bed," I got to my feet and leaped from the roof. Inuyasha didn't follow.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

I pretty much hoped last night wouldn't have any effect on today's actions and I was pretty much right. Just as usual Inuyasha ignored the fact that anything had happened the day previous. For once I was thankful. We walked around the village toward a large limestone cave as Meoga explained to us as much as he knew about this place.

"This fort also served as a workshop." He said, tweaking my curiosity.

"Workshop?" I asked.

"The bones and shells of exterminated yokai were made into weapons and armor. Then their remains were taken to the edge of the village.."

We stopped in front at the mouth of the cavern.

"..and left inside this limestone cave.."

"This was where the Shikon No Tama was born?" I looked into the dark tunnel full of stalagmites and wetness.. Somehow it didn't feel right, I didn't want to go in.

"Come on, Kaori!" Inuyasha called his voice echoing around inside the cave.

"Wait a sec!" I shouted running in after them. "You _want_ to go in!"

"If your scared Kaori-sama, then cuddle up to me.." Miroku suggested, smirking at me from over his shoulder.

"Bastard, you're thinking dirty stuff again, aren't you?" Inuyasha growled, as he grabbed my hand and kept me close. My blush reached all the way down to my toes and my heart was racing, as I quickly became hyper aware of my own body next to his. Why was I reacting like this, it only just started happening a while ago!

But my silent torments were quickly interrupted as we came upon a large dark figure. As we got closer I realized it was a corpse.. a mummy of some sort, merged into the bodies of surrounding dead youkai. A large hole was in the mummy's chest right where the heart should've been.

"What is this..?" Inuyasha asked has he and everyone else gazed upon it, "Tell me Myouga-jijii, this is.."

"Just what it appears to be," The flea answered.

"I'm asking because I can't figure it out!" he glowered.

"You don't know do you?" Shippo questioned.

"A youkai mummy..?" I peeped, stepping out from behind Inuyasha to get a closer look.

"You think.. it's a yokai?" Miroku didn't look at me, his eyes were latched upon the womanly figure just as I, "It's become one with the yokai, but.. this is.. a human, I believe."

My eyes gazed over the hole in her chest as the words sunk in. A human, huh..

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

"Hey, I'm talking to you Inuyasha!" Miroku said sternly as we stumbled through the forest, "Why don't we stop and take a rest, huh?"

"Hnnn?" Inuyasha stopped midstep and turned around to face us, "You're the one who wanted to go to Saru castle and talk to the guys there."

"I'm saying if we continue to walk like this, Kaori-sama wont be able to take it!"

At the mention of my name I pulled my head away from the tree and suppressed a yawn. No.. no I was alright..

"You tired, Kaori?" Inuyasha asked with a bit of concern in his tone. His expression changed so drastically from Miroku to me, and the monk smirked over Inuyasha's shoulder, again in that I-Told-You-So, expression.

"Well kinda.. I guess." I admitted, staring at the ground. Kinda was an understatement. I hadn't been sleeping well at all since I'd seen Kikyo.. "Also I'm kinda-" My stomach growled and I blushed, "hungry too."

"Wha..." Inuyasha stared at me for a moment then huffed, "Hmph you're such a selfish girl!"

"What the hell! I've been putting up with it up till now! I haven't eaten in forever, and how can I sleep when I'm constantly bothered with Kikyo's voice saying over and over again how horrible of a sister I am! While your off in your in your own little world, being all la-de-da, eating what ever it is your eating while you run off on your own in the middle of the night, yes I know!"

"Pay a little attention to other's needs," Miroku said, his voice firm as if scolding a child, "Don't try anything fancy, just say, 'I love you' or 'I'm in love with you'."

"Eh!" Meoga gasped, "Inuyasha-sama! When did you say that!"

"Shut up!" Inuyasha shouted a slight pinkish tinge to his cheeks.

I giggled nervously. Miroku's remark was embarrassing to me as well. Why as everyone so focused on forcing us together?

Kirara twitched in my arms and brought my attention back to reality. All of a sudden a large boomerang cut through the trees. Inuyasha grabbed the top of my head and pushed me to the ground, ducking just as everyone else had at the last second. The boomerang made a narrow U-turn and flew back the way it came.

A tall dark haired girl caught it with one hand. The thing was twice her size and I was amazing by her strength for just a human. Dark, almost black, brown hair was tied back into a high ponytail, and black and pink armour covered her body. Although a dark grey mask covered half of her face, and she had an enraged look in her brown eyes, I could tell that she was pretty but the scent of blood haunted her.

"So you're that bastard Inuyasha, huh!" she hollered, "I'll exterminate you!"

"What the hell!" Inuyasha shouted.

"Sa.. Sango!" Meoga yelped.

"Hiraikotsu!" The girl shouted, throwing her boomerang at us once more.

"Inuyasha-sama don't fight with Sango!" Meoga pleaded as Inuyasha whipped out Tetsusaiga.

"This ain't the time for that!" Inuyasha snapped. Fang met boomerang with a loud clang and Inuyasha was forced back as the large weapon flew off in another direction.

"Doesn't look like we can talk things over, does it?" Inuyasha muttered under his breath. "Hey bitch, why are you attacking me!"

"Shut up, hanyo!" Sango snapped viciously. My ears pinned themselves against my head, and a low growl escaped my lips. Her eyes flickered to me but only for a moment before she whipped the boomerang at him once more, "This is revenge for all the villagers!"

"Hn! Meoga-jijii what's she talking about!" Inuyasha demanded, dodging the large bone weapon again by mere inches.

"I don't know! I have no clue!" Meoga squeaked.

"We've got to do something about that weapon!" I pulled out my katanas and gripped them firmly in my fists.

Miroku nodded and started pulling the beads from his arm, "Got it!" But just as the words were let out into the air, large yellow bees rose from the bushes. That only meant one thing.

"Naraku!" A vicious snarl escaped through my clenched teeth. The baboon clad man was standing behind Sango, the saimyoushou flying above protecting him. The last time I had seen him those jewel shards had caused me to near faint.. but I should have helped with the attempt to kill him.. I took in a deep breath, forcing myself to memorize this scent. I could not forget it.

"Kukukuku. Inuyasha..." Naraku chuckled darkly. A shiver ran down my spine and I tightened my grip on the swords. "Resign yourself, and take your punishment from the taijiya."

"You bastard.." Inuyasha growled. "This ends here and now!" He swung Tetsusaiga over his shoulder and leaped toward the monkey menace.

"Finish him quickly, Sango." Naraku instructed. "The effect won't last much longer.."

"I know that." She snapped, and tossed her boomerang. Inuyasha dodged. But she was faster. A chain wrapped itself around his ankle and he came crashing down. It came from Sango. "Your opponent is me!"

"You bitch!" Inuyasha shouted. "Get out of the damn way or I'll kill you first!"

"I.. Inuyasha-sama!" Meoga cried.

"Just you try!" Sango challenged catching her weapon again with one hand.

"She thinks Inuyasha attacked the village." Shippo said from my shoulder.

"Naraku's deceiving her." I muttered grudgingly. As Sango turned I noticed something glowing in the centre of her back. Shikon shard. I smirked and shook Shippo off, sprinting between the distance of Inuyasha and the advancing Sango.

She threw her weapon and I leaped right in front, crossing my katanas in an X. I was pushed back a little but it stopped the weapon. Her face changed from anger to shock and Inuyasha took this opportunity to chase after Naraku.

"Nice boomerang you go there." I smirked. Her face twisted back into fury. "Do you think you could make me one?"

She pulled back then tossed something I couldn't see. Suddenly they exploded with a miasma. I leaped backwards covering my nose. The smell was almost worse than the demonic ink.

"Heh." Sango laughed from withing the giant cloud. "People with ears like yours are generally weak against scent attacks.."

"Damnit." I cursed. I looked at my swords. Hmm.. Change into a giant fan! Nothing. Erg!

"Kaori-sama!" Miroku shouted. I spun around sensing danger. A bodiless hand wielding a thin sword was racing towards me. My wrist twitched and I shifted my weight to leap, but a flash of red and silver appeared before me and the hand was hacked to bits. I looked up. Boomerang.

"Shit!" Inuyasha grabbed me by the waist and leaped a few feet away. The bone had just grazed the bottom of my foot. Another hunk of flesh flew at me and snatched the jewel shards right from my pocket..

"NO!" I cried and watched as it flew then attached onto Naraku's body.

"Kukuku..." Naraku chuckled again, clutching my shikon shards in his hand. I realized now at this moment he hadn't had any of his old shards on him and nothing was tainted.. That was strange.. "This isn't something for the likes of you idiots. Now that the shikon fragments is in my hands, staying longer would be pointless."

"Naraku, you bastard!" I hollered trying to struggle out of Inuyasha's iron hold.

"Farewell, Kaori." An explosion of miasma sent us fleeing in the opposite direction a couple of feet and he was already in the sky. "Sango.. I'll be waiting at the castle. Be sure to destroy Inuyasha."

Sango stared after him, silent and momentarily distracted. The cream coloured kitten took this as an opportunity and ran into her open lap.

"Kirara..You're.. alive.." Her voice was kind and gentle now.. Much prettier now that malice no longer coated her words. But she glanced swiftly over her shoulder and lowered her covered mouth to the neko's large black ear. "Kirara, follow that guy. If he does anything odd.. kill him."

Kirara blinked and hopped out of her arms. Once the onyx paws hit the ground flames engulfed her once more and she grew back into the monstrous beast we had first met her as. She ran off into the direction that Naraku had gone, and Miroku was hot on her heels.

Inuyasha finally let go of me, to join this hunting party. "Just you wait, Naraku!" But as he got across the rocky clearing Sango attacked again. Her boomerang crashed into the ground before him then spun around back into her waiting hands. That was starting to get annoying.

"I will exterminate you here!"

"Bitch! Still going on about that!" Inuyasha growled turned around to face her. She lunched forward adding more power to this throw. I exhaled sharply and once more threw myself into it's path. I remembered the flash of crimson with the head tree and hopped it happened again as the weapon came speeding toward me. As bone hit metal my bright red light exploded and the 8 foot long bone was tossed into the dirt several yards away.

Sango radiated panic now.

Inuyasha chuckled and leaped over me. "Now that you've lost your weapon it's my turn!"

She threw more of the invisible scent bombs but just as she did his claws reached out and snapped the dark grey mask right off her face. Her dark eyes widened in surprise and her hands shot to her face, covering her nose. Inuyasha grabbed her arm and jumped out of the other side of the gas cloud.

As their feet touched the ground I started running towards them. Surely the fight would be over now that he'd saved her, right? Nope. Wrong. The scent of his blood hit my nose and my legs started moving faster. She'd thrust a katana right threw his arm and out the other side. He didn't seem the least bit fazed by it.. well except the irritated look.

"You bitch.." He spat. He grabbed her by the forearm and pulled the katana out of his own. "You've been deceived by Naraku, but you still don't get it? Besides.. Can't you tell me why you're covered with blood?"

"Wha..at!" Sango looked down on her self, finally noticing the dark red puddle she was in. Her eyes became clouded, and a moment later she was lifeless upon the ground.


	21. History

A/N ~ (17/10/2010): Dates: November 8th. Hey people! I decided to get rid of the Naraku puppets.. they seemed kind of stupid. I think, at least this early in the story, Naraku should still have enough confidence in his own powers where he doesn't need to hide behind a fake version of himself. What kind of villain is THAT much of a coward? So anyways, the jewel shard status is as followed.. they have none. This is a shorter chapter as well.. I didn't feel like pushing two together for this.

ENJOY!

* * *

**You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.**

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I Do Not Own Inuyasha

* * *

21. History

"Dammit all! What's with that 'Sango' girl?" Inuyasha cursed, throwing down a blackened piece of wood on top of a slowly growing pile, "She couldn't even remember the face of that suspicious 'young master' at the castle!"

"Stop jabbering and tidy up," Miroku sighed. He was crouched down beside me building up a small fire with strong long branches that I had picked up only moments before.

We were back at the Taijiya's village. Sango was now in our care and we'd been treating her wounds for the past week. We learned that she had been from the castle, and tricked by Naraku into believing Inuyasha had been the one to kill all those that were hear. However, since she was in such a weak state, mentally as well as physically, she couldn't recall anything of Naraku. I didn't blame her, neither did Miroku, but Inuyasha on the other hand wasn't as compassionate.

"But-!"

"This is Naraku we're talking about," Miroku interrupted, more aggressively this time. I sensed his irritation and glanced at Inuyasha. He looked more aggravated at the name and I wondered if he was thinking about Kikyo too, "Until all of his crimes are detected, unless you have any other ideas, we can't go back, can we? It must have been a spell cast on her aways, and now that Naraku is gone it's worn off. Besides we can't go romping around the country side with Sango in such a condition."

Inuyasha gave an irritated grunt and chucked another scorched beam into the pile, "Who cares about her spells and her wounds! You're not going to let her stay in bed for a whole week though, are you? If it was me, I'd be up in three!"

"If it was me, I'd stay in bed for a month."

"Sango's not just suffering physically, you know," I muttered, tossing a leaf into the fire, "She's lost her entire family and village. She must be heart broken."

"Oooh! A broken heart, huh?" Inuyasha gasped sarcastically, "Well the best cure for that is vengance, and to get that revenge we have to find Naraku's castle! I'm gonna go see if she remembers anythin- Ow!"

Miroku had chucked a thick log at Inuyasha's head. He stumped a bit then spun around, his fists clentched and his body braced for combat.

"Now why did you do that!"

"Leave her alone and let her rest for a while. I promise you that will be the best medicine."

I looked away from them as Inuyasha shouted his protest. I searched for the graves. New flowers had been placed upon them, red this time, and the amount of debris in the area had decreased incredibly thanks to us. As I continued to inspect I saw a dark haired figure sitting in front of the farthest rows by the wall. I quietly rose to my feet to join Sango.

I got there seconds later but made my approach silent. I didn't want to frighten her and I wondered if my presence would make things awkward. We've never just been together by ourselves. I remembered last week and my snide comments during the fight. Ugh, what if she doesn't even like me?

"The graves.." Sango said. Her voice was sad and pretty again. I tensed a bit as her brown eyes gazed over me. I was sure I had been completely silent.. how did she hear me coming? I stepped to her side and sat down, "You made graves for everyone."

"Of course," I mumbled.

She looked older than me but she was pretty nonetheless. Her eyes weren't as deep a brown as most people I've seen around here and a dark pink colour was painted on her lids like eyeshadow. Her hair wasn't black either, it was a very deep brown. It was pulled back at the ends with a white ribbon in a very similar version to Kikyo's.

"You know, you really shouldn't be up," I said, "You should be inside healing."

"I couldn't exactly stay here without visiting my friends.." she mumbled.

I hesitated. It was hard for me to figure out what to say.. I had never really been in the position where it was necessary to comfort another.. and even so it wasn't just like I could tell her to be happy..

"Why don't you join us?" I heard myself say, "When you're healed of course.. Inuyasha isn't such a bad guy once you get to know him. I should know, we've been together since I.." I paused, remembering how we'd actually been separated for most of my life, "..was a little girl. Miroku can be a bit of a pervert sometimes but it's not that difficult to ignore."

"You can see Shikon fragments, can't you?" she asked, resting her chin on her knees. Her head was tilted and her eyes gazed at me curiously.

I nodded.

"But you're a hanyo."

I nodded again, my ears twitching.

"That means you cannot be a miko.."

"Well.. no.."

"So therefore you shouldn't be able to."

"But I can."

She looked away from me now, down at the graves once more, "If you can sense them.. that means you are able to find the castle just from following that?"

"Yes, if we're close enough to the shards, it's possible. But me and Inuyasha's know the scent of Naraku, not very well but you still have a faint trace of it on your clothes. We can always follow that too."

Sango looked at me again, her eyes cold and hard. She stared for a moment and in that moment I felt like she was searching my soul for impurities.

"Fine. I'll go with you."

I blinked and a strange emotion filled me. One I couldn't explain, "We will help you avenge everyone here at the village."

The hostility drained from her eyes, "Thank you.. but also.. the Shikon No Tama.."

"It was born here, wasn't it? Yeah, we heard about that.. "

"Was that the reason why you came here?"

My eyes wandered, "Maybe one of the reasons.. maybe the reason for Miroku. But not for me."

"What was your's then?"

"I.." Would she believe me if I told her? I glanced at her from the corner of my eye. I had no choice.. She was waiting, "The reason.. I can see Shikon shards even though I am not a miko.. is because.. according to my... according to Kaede the Miko from my village, Midoriko was my ancestor. I came to learn about my heritage.. I came to train and get stronger and control the demonic urges.. My story is complicated.. but basically those were the reasons.."

She was silent as she processed the information, but then she gave me a small smile and rose gently to her feet, "Since you held a funeral for everyone... Since I believe you.. I'll tell you about it. Why the Shikon No Tama was born."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

We walked deeper into the limestone cave. Flashlight in hand, I carefully placed my steps to make sure I was always at Inuyasha's side. He carried Sango on his back, so this time there was no way he could hold me. This made me slightly jealous but I knew Sango couldn't walk so I tried to repress the negative feelings.

"Have any of you been inside this cave.. and seen _it_?" Sango asked, her voice echoing across the stone.

"Yeah those mummified yokai, right?" Inuyasha answered, his voice joining hers in the reverberations.

Streams of light rained down upon us from above, creeping through the small cracks in the stone. I watched as the dust danced around the mummy. Shivers ran down my spine as I looked upon her decayed face.. as if any moment she'd come alive.

Inuyasha placed Sango on her feet and she carefully lowered herself to her bottom, using a stalagmite for back support.

"There was a time when countless numbers of yokai, dragons, ground spiders, oni, and so on, merged into one, and increased their power to wage a battle," she explained, "Just to destroy one single human."

"Then.. this is a human as I thought," Miroku muttered, staring up at the large mass of imobile yokai. They were twisting and turning over eachother, yet still as a statue. The human above, I now noticed, was half submerged in the jaws of a reptile-like creature.

"Wearing old armour.. an ancient general, huh."

Ancient general? I glanced toward Miroku as if he were crazy. Could his human eyes not detect it? This was defiantly a woman. Even though the bottom half of her body was not seen the curves in the upper made it quite clear.

"No you are wrong," Sango said, conforming my thoughts, "That is a woman. Several hundred years ago.. she was a miko."

"I see," Inuyasha said, "If yokai are your opponents then a miko is about as strong as 100 samurais."

"It was a time when the nobility were still in control of Japan," Sango explained, her eyes never straying from the body, "There were piles of people who had died in war and hunger.. As the corpses and exhausted humans were eaten, in no time, the numbers of yokai increased. All sorts of Buddhist priests and generals exterminated the yokai it appears but, above all was the miko Midoriko, who used an attack that drove out the yokai's souls and purified them. She had enough spiritual power to destroy 10 youkai at once and was considered the most powerful human of her time."

My heart pounded in my ears and I saw Inuyasha's eyes flicker to me. He heard it, I know he did.. I lowered my gaze and clenched my teeth together, trying to force my body to relax. In a moment he was beside me and I felt his large hand grasp my own. It calmed me and for a moment I just thought of this. His hands were strong and rough, as was expected of someone who climbed around in trees and battled all day everyday, but they were warm and gentle. I felt that red ribbon tied around his wrist, that ribbon I had almost forgotten about completely, signifying our promise and my anxiety faded.

"In this world there are humans, animals, trees, and rocks. Midoriko could purify all four of those souls," I heard Sango say. It snapped me from my thoughts and I looked around, no one seemed to have noticed Inuyasha and I.. or at least they were pretending not to.

"In shinto there is one way of thinking," Miroku said, his dark blue eyes shifting as I gazed upon them. He had been watching us, with that same annoying smirk on his face.. "Namely that 'shikon' is Ara-mitama, Nigi-mitama, Kushi-mitama, and Saki-mitama. All together these become one spirit, and in the flesh they live inside the heart. Ara-mitama is courage, Nigi-mitama is kinship, Kushi-mitama is wisdom, and Saki-mitama is to be in charge of love. Human nature is correctly maintained between them."

"And then..?" Inuyasha asked weakly.

"If you do evil, the shikon's actions fall down to evil," Miroku replied.

Inuyasha stared at the monk for a moment, the silence quickly becoming an annoying ring in my ears, "S-stop changing things around!"

"Shall I start again?"

"In other words, souls can become good or evil," Sango explained.

Miroku nodded, "Right."

"It's still kinda confusing," Shippo confessed.

I sighed, "They mean that when all of those qualities, such as wisdom and courage, love and friendship, are found in one person, namely Midoriko, they unite to form a balance within the soul. That balance is powerful and that power can be used for good or evil.. Does that make more sense?"

Shippo nodded, but I wasn't totally convinced.

"Anyway.." Sango said before I could think of a even simpler way to explain what I had understood almost instantly, "The miko called Midoriko exorcised shikon, and had much experience in using the spell to transform a yokai's power to nothing. That's why the yokai were afraid of Midoriko, and started trying to take her life. But even if they attacked her suddenly, they were all exorcised, which is why, to overcome Midoriko's spiritual powers, a soul with massive evil was needed.. so the yokai became one."

"How?" Shippo questioned.

Sango pointed toward the bottom of the giant corpses, "Take a look over there. There's one more.."

My eyes followed her finger and then locked onto the face of a man, "Another human?"

"Midoriko.. hadn't always been a miko," Sango confessed, "There was a time when she had been a normal noble woman and this normal woman, free from the limitations of following a spiritual path, was arranged to be married. This was the man whom she married. He loved her so much that it became something of an obsession but unfortunately Midoriko was never able to return these feelings. A few years later, Midoriko, worried for her people, wanted to peruse what she'd always dreamed. To become a miko and protect those around her. To do this she could not be married. The man's heart never mended but his love for her also never faded. As the years went by and Midoriko's powers grew, the yokai took advantage of the man's weakness and malice toward the woman who left him, and possessed him. Many yokai merged into one as using a human with an evil heart to anchor with was the easiest."

I sense of deja vu ran over me.. I felt like I'd heard this story.. but.. from where..?

_"..and Onigumo..that man filled with evil, harboured despicable desires for Kikyou. Unable to move, Onigumo's dreadfully evil thoughts filled the inside of the cave..and that evil drew in yokai...He traded his body to the youkai in exchange for one that could move freely.."_

Oh.. that's where.. Naraku's monologue.. Why was everything in my life always leading up to.. always so similar to Kikyo..?

"This story.." Miroku's voice snapped me back to reality. I realized now that in my thoughts I had sub-consciously leaned my head against Inuyasha's shoulder. His hand had moved to the top of my head, and now it felt more protective than comforting, "This story is like it's about Naraku. Isn't it the same as when the wild thief Onigumo submitted his body to the yokai, and was reborn?"

I heard Sango gasp, "Naraku was..?"

"Continue the story, Sango," Inuyasha said, tickling my ears with his breath, "Did this miko.. beat the yokai, or did she lose?"

"The battle continued to 7 days and 7 nights and finally, Midoriko exhausted her power, and her body was eaten. It seems her soul was absorbed. But at that moment, with the last of her power, Midoriko seized the yokai's soul.. and her own soul was taken in and forced out of her body. There both the yokai and Midoriko died.. The cluster of souls remained and that's the Shikon No Tama."

"But even though their body had been destroyed, inside the jewel Midoriko's and the yokai's souls still continue to fight. In truth, depending upon the soul of the person who holds the Shikon No tama, they become better or worse it seems. If a yokai or evil person holds it, their corruption increases. If a person with a pure soul holds it, then they are cleansed."

"In the hundreds of years since various yokai and humans have gotten hold of the Shikon No Tama on occasion, and in my grandfather's time, he brought it back to this town. He'd gotten it from a yokai he exterminated. Soon afterwards grandfather also died from the wounds he got at the time.. But by that time, the Shikon No Tama had already been corrupted very badly."

"But Sango.." I mumbled, sensing that her story had come to an end. I pulled away from Inuyasha and he let me go easily, "The story I know.. was that my mother had the jewel and that my mother was a daughter of Midoriko.."

"Yes.." Sango gazed at me and nodded once, "I forgot to mention that while being married Midoriko had given birth to a child. After the deaths of his parents the was taken care of by the servants at the mansion. He knew the story of his parents well and with each generation the story was retold. Until again my grandfather's time.. when a young artist claiming to be the last descendant of the miko appeared in our village. Few people believed her, since she was infatuated with a yokai lord at the time. Most believed she was lying to get the jewel for him but nonetheless she stayed here, learning about Midoriko as much as she could. Until Shikon No Tama was brought back. The night after my grandfather died, she disappeared with the Shikon No Tama and that was the last they heard of her. Her actions conformed their suspicions but there was also the fact that a simple artist had the powers of a miko without ever practicing, while being in love which had forced some to believe she was genuine."

"Do you know her name..?" I asked.

"She went by 'Itami Mika'.."

"Mika.." I dropped my gaze. My mother's name..

"Kaori.." I looked up at Sango again, "You remember, what I said. I said she was an artist."

I stared at her blankly. So..? My mother was an artist, who stole things, abandoned her children, and was in love with a yokai..

The taijiya got to her feet and stumbled towards me. She grabbed my hand and forced me to point the forgotten flashlight to the wall behind the giant corpses. The wall none of us had ever paid any attention to.

My breath was stolen from me.

The cave wall was covered with colour. Vibrant blues, greens, browns, pinks, the blackest of blacks, reds golds, purples. Everything was colour. Everything was painted. Not a hint of the dull grey stone was visible. The colours still shined, almost as if laced with magic.. paints mixed with glitter and life.

It was a mural. A picture of a large glowing neon pink ball with white mist and sparkles floated in frozen clouds around it. Inside the ball was the almost transparent face of a beautiful pale raven haired woman. Her eyes were closed. Her red lips were pressed together. Serious, strong and elegant.. What Midoriko would have looked like.

On the right of the jewel was a man. Tan complexion, black jagged lines across his cheeks, long dark blue hair.. fangs.. bright icy blue eyes with tints of gold. His ears were long, and pointed, like an elf, like Sesshoumaru's yet larger and more noticable.. A black-violet little ball was clenched in his clawed fist. He looked serious.. but.. almost evil.. well not so much evil as.. maybe angry, as his eyes were narrowed and looked out as if he were staring right into your soul. But either way he was godlike.

On the left of the jewel was a woman. She was facing away from the yokai but their free hands were still entwined together. She was holding a pale pink almost white little sphere close to her chest. Long light brown locks fell past her shoulders down to her waist and vivid green eyes, contrasting against a pale beautiful face, were pointed towards the sky.

My vision blurred with tears. My father.. My mother.. My history.. My story.. Everything I had ever wanted.. All that was in this room.. I could not reach..


	22. Sango's Betrayal

A/N ~ (17/10/2010): Dates: November 9th - 11th. I dunno what to say about this chapter reallyy..

* * *

**You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.**

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I Do Not Own Inuyasha

* * *

22. Sango's Betrayal

I leaped into the hot spring, dipping my head under as soon as possible. The air was cold. Snow now covered every surface freezing the ground rock solid through the night. Winter had come early considering it was still November but I was glad. I'd been yearning for snow for the longest time.

But the snow did cause a problem. For one, shelter was hard to find. Inuyasha and I, maybe even Shippo, could stand this cold as our body temperatures were higher but Sango and Miroku would most likely struggle. We would either have to figure out ways to build a better shelter instead of just sleeping on the ground, or we would have to travel to villages every night until spring. Another problem was that the snow had washed away any faint scents that could have been left by Naraku. Sango still couldn't remember the location of the castle and now Inuyasha and I tracking him down was out of the question.. so we were all depending on my ability to sense jewel shards.. but I couldn't even feel a trace of anything nearby.

"Erm.. They wont peek will they?" Sango asked timidly as I brought my head above the water. I had loaned her my spare one piece bathing suit, so the boys peering wouldn't even be an issue, but she didn't seem too assured. I didn't blame her.. this was the feudal era after all.. and dispute the suit her toned figure was shown off in a way that any guy would probably enjoy.

I snapped the strap on my own swim suit, "Miroku might, which is why we're wearing these to cover up what he wants to see. As for Inuyasha he probably wont. He acts like he doesn't care."

She gave me a strange look, "Do you want him to?"

I felt heat rushing to my cheeks and I sank deeper into the water, "Defiantly not," I mumbled.

A small smile played on her lips. I fanned my hair out around me as I let the red in my cheeks creep away. My hair was a dark navy blue when wet.. I never noticed this before.

"What exactly.. is your relationship with Inuyasha?"

I looked up. She was watching me, her dark eyes careful. Instantly I was reminded of Kikyo. I sighed, "It's complicated. He and my.. well I guess, my older sister, were in love at some point. But technically Kikyo wasn't my older sister. Mika just dumped me off in their village when I was little and they, Kikyo, her mother, and Kaede, the miko I told you about, raised me. Kikyo died a few years later.. and I was sent away when she did. A couple of months ago I came back and I guess you could say Inuyasha and I's relationship kind of flourished. But Kikyo recently has been resurrected. Everything was confusing even without her and now that she's back it's even more of a headache.."

"Oh.." she muttered.

"Er don't get me wrong!" I added quickly,"I love Kikyo very much but.."

"Don't worry, I understand completely."

I wondered how she could and we lapsed into an uncomfortable silence.

"Why the sudden question..?" I asked finally.

She shrugged, "How you guys were acting in the cave the other day got me curious. Also yokai usually tend to mate with their own kind, and you both being inu hanyo.."

"But us being hanyo means our parents stepped away from the usual," I reminded her.

"Yeah, I know that," she replied, "But it's just, you could say, 'human nature' to mate within our own kind. Doesn't mean it's impossible to be with anyone else. It's just what we're drawn to, especially with yokai and part yokai."

I scratched an itch behind my ear as I thought this over. I understood that.. I guess I was just thinking too much with my human brain. It was very possible that being part yokai those 'animal' instincts could lead me and Inuyasha being drawn towards each other.. but I highly doubt anything would even happen.. even though things already have.. but those were due more to being confused in some way.. and besides I want to be in a relationship where it's not just because we're similar we're just supposed to be together.. Some sort of emotional connection has to go along with that as well.

"Nevermind," Sango said, turning away, "It was just from plain observations. Sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable."

"No! It's okay, Miroku does this all the time.." I noticed a giant scar in the middle of her back, and trailed off swallowing nervously.

"Oh.. my scar. It's still there.." Sango mumbled, as she looked over her shoulder.

"From a yokai?" I asked.

Sango looked away from me again, staring off between the trees, "No.. the one who made that wound.. was my younger brother before dying.. He was controlled by a yokai at Naraku's castle.. and even killed my father and our friends in the end.."

A strange feeling washed over me.. as if a rock had just dropped into my stomach.

"He was a timid and kind child," she continued sadly, "But.. before he died.. he returned to being Kohaku.. to being my brother again."

I looked down at my hands, "I'm sorry.."

"It's okay, really," she assured me, "Everybody here, has a similarly painful relationship with Naraku, don't they? Besides.."

I heard a rustle of leaves and her eyes narrowed back into that dangerous glare.

"You did come to bloody peak!" she snarled, launching a rock through the bushes. An animal like 'eek' replied and I leaped over back into the cold air to see.

A monkey lay unconscious in the snow, a large pink bump forming on his little head. I laughed silently under my breath and Sango stared at the animal, her face blank.

But then Inuyasha's and Miroku's head popped out from behind the trees.

"Hey, what's all the commotion? Is someone attacking you? Are you okay!" Inuyasha shouted, brandishing his sword in all directions to fight off a non-existent monster.

"No," I sighed as I noticed Miroku was just standing there, his face pink, his eyes just absorbing as much as he could..

Sango's negative energy snapped the boys right out of their emotions and a moment later, each of them were laying unconscious on the ground.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

The cold wind tossed my hair around my face and I furiously pulled it all back into a braid.

"What the hell is your problem?" Inuyasha asked, as his own silver locks whirled around blocking his eyes.

I quickly snapped a hair elastic around it and trudged off into the snow after the others, "Nothing really," I replied as he kept at my heels, "But just because you enjoy frosty hair in your face, doesn't mean we all do."

"Who said I enjoyed it?" he snapped as we came up to the others.

"I did. But if I'm wrong why don't you just let me tie it back!"

"No way! I'm not a freaking girl!"

I exhaled sharply, "Just because it's tied back doesn't mean you're a girl! Look at Miroku his hair is tied back!"

"Who cares about Miroku?"

"I take that offensively," Miroku butted in.

"Shut up, monk!" Inuyasha growled.

"Fine, fine," Miroku sighed and took his place back beside Sango.

"Just let me tie it up if you don't like it in your face," I said, avoiding Sango's curious and amused gaze. I had the feeling she was questioning if really there wasn't anything going on between me and this boy.

"No!"

"Just let me!"

"Why should I!"

I let out a low growl and he replied with an aggressive one. The wind blew once more and his silver hair was whipped around his head and even into my face. That's it! I snatched the ends and pulled. He yelped loudly, grabbing onto my shoulders resisting.

"Kaori that hurts! Let go of me, damnit!"

"No!" I shouted back. I managed to scramble onto his back and he fell face forward into the snow. Quickly I pulled everything back and tied it in place. Just as I had finished he leaped up, causing me to fall to the frozen floor. A shiver ran up my spine, and I looked at him, blinking as my eyes adjusted to the glaring sunlight.

His golden eyes were dark and angry.. even his face was red. Ears back against his head. Hands clenched into tight fists. I smiled. "See you look nice with your hair back."

"I'll kill you!"

I squeaked as he lunged for me. I tried to dodge him but I slipped on the ice beneath the snow. His arms wrapped around my waist and I fell back.. But the falling never stopped and I felt my stomach leap as I watched the sky fly past me over and over and over.. and as the snow was pushed down my shirt.

My head hit the ground and I lay on my back staring up at the sky, Inuyasha still attached to me. Why was the sky spinning? Why did I suddenly feel like puking..? Inuyasha lifted himself up and he stared at the ground, his eyes unfocused and his face a little green. I looked up at the two human figures standing on top of a giant snow bank.. We'd just summersalted down that hill.

I laughed and pushed Inuyasha off me. I stumbled to my feet and kicked snow over him and ran. I heard him growl and listened to the soft crunching of snow behind me. Suddenly a snow bomb exploded on the back of my head and more icy chills slipped down my black long sleeve shirt and some even into my jeans.

I squirmed uncomfortably, forgetting all about Inuyasha. Snow down your shirt was never enjoyable. But suddenly I felt two large things grab my waist and the ground disappeared from under my feet. A small scream escaped my lips as the two things holding me swayed dangerously. Inuyasha snickered and I realized he was holding me above his head.

I felt self conscious about my weight as he started walking but he acted as if I weighed nothing more than a small apple. I squirmed and tried to see where he was going.. I notice a giant sparking bank of snow quickly becoming larger and larger as Inuyasha stalked towards it..

"No!" I screamed, flailing my arms and legs, "Let me down! I'll kick your but to high heaven if you do it!"

"Hah! Yeah right!" Inuyasha scoffed as his grasp on my body became tighter.

"Wanna bet!" I threatened.

Silence was my reply.

"Ouswari!"

Both of us fell and snow flew up around us like fluff off a dandelion. I shivered. It felt like more snow was in my pants than in the north pole! That defiantly wasn't one of my best ideas.

"Kaori-sama! Inuyasha!" I heard Miroku call from some distance, "Stop fooling around and come look at this!"

He was kneeling beside a dead man when we arrived. Balding, cold, and fresh blood soaking his clothes.. What a buzz kill. I sniffed the air. The scent of fresh blood was everywhere, and not only from this villager.

"I smell blood from others," I said as Miroku checked the mans pulse, " And a lot of it.."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

We arrived at a village moments later. It was gruesome.. much like what we had seen at Sango's village. Bodies of women, men, and children littered the ground, the white snow splattered with pools of red. Some eyes didn't close and just stared blankly ahead at nothing.. dull and glazed over. I shut my own eyes and tried to keep the rustic scent from getting to me.

"Everyone's been killed.." The taijiya murmured darkly from my side.

I heard the sound of crunching snow under sandals and the jangling of Miroku's staff, "Everyone was felled by one blow."

"The wounds aren't from a sword.." Sango whispered.

"Who in the world would.."

A creak of wood in the hut closest to us sent my body into defencive mode and I was more aware of my body than since that day I became what I am. Before the thought even entered my mind my katanas were out and air was rippling up my throat in a low but menacing growl. I heard a deeper growl came I sensed Inuyasha's presence at my side. He sprinted forward, Tetsusaiga already in hand, and sliced through the wooden hut a second later.

The roof tumbled down a few feet away and the rocks broke through the wood with a loud crash. Dust particles were thrown into the air blocking anything beyond the hut. A child sized silhouette steeped out into the air born earth. Miroku and Sango gasped behind me.

The silhouette leaped into the air and with a small flick of the wrist, a sharp curved bone attached to a silver chain was hurtling toward me and then deflected with a loud clang moments later by my katanas. Silhouette snapped the chain back and caught the weapon in its small palm as the dust cleared.

Silhouette was a boy of maybe 12. His dark brown hair was pulled back in a short but high ponytail and he was dressed in similar armour to Sango except in green. Bloody chain blade grasped firmly in his fist, he glared viscously back at us with familiar brown eyes.

One name entered my mind. Kohaku. Sango's younger brother.

The boy then abruptly spun around and dashed off into the opposite direction. Sango was the first one on her feet to follow, "Kirara!" She called and the tiny cream colour neko ran between her legs and transformed. We ran after them. But I was stopped when a painful throbbing entered my head. This throbbing was familiar.. and could only mean one thing..

I glanced ahead. Kohaku had a shard in the back of his neck.. Throbbing continued, getting louder and louder. Harder and harder. Black spots appeared before my eyes although I blinked to force them away they multiplied. I heard Inuyasha yelling at me to hurry up.. but his voice sounded like he was talking from another room.. house.. I couldn't hear anything.. and suddenly my mind went black.

Naraku was out there somewhere.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

Voices.. I heard them.. soft murmurs.. but I couldn't understand them, nor tell who they belonged to. I felt an itchy dry fluffiness underneath my body, prickling me in certain places, and I felt a heavy.. thing.. over me. It was warm. So were the prickles.. but I dared not to move to get more comfortable. Something about the tone of the voices kept my body frozen.

They grew louder and I could understand what they were saying.

"..after your brother and failed to get him? I didn't think you made mistakes like that. Just what are you hiding? What happened when you went after your brother earlier?"

"Nothing happened.. besides I already told you. Kohaku.. my brother, is not someone who could do such a cruel thing. He'd never kill people like that.. He is no longer.. my brother."

"Do you really think it's that simple?"

I recognized the people speaking..

"No matter how much he changed," Inuyasha said. "He's still your brother isn't he? He should not.. be able to forget, and hate you so easily."

"What would you understand about it!" Sango snapped.

I opened my eyes and came face to face with Shippo's little tail. I knew what Inuyasha was talking about.. I knew what he was thinking of just then. Kikyo.

"Inuyasha don't be careless," Miroku's voice came out barely any louder than a whisper, "We're surrounded."

The painful throbbing came back to me and I gasped in pain.

"Kaori!" Inuyasha's hands were on my head and I clenched my teeth together trying to keep myself from fainting again.

The ground started to shake. I felt a large amount of dark energy fast approaching and groaned.. Naraku..

"Damn!" Inuyasha's hands disappeared, "Miroku, watch Kaori!"

"No!" I hissed. I pushed myself up and ran past the approaching monk. The earth spun and I leaned up against the door frame, "Ugh, why does this stuff always happen to me..?"

"Kaori, go back and lay down," Miroku said, his voice hard and serious, "We can take care of this."

I took in a deep breath and shook my head. "I will not let this take over me." I pushed myself out the door and scoured the scene for Inuyasha. I found him, off to the side, with the silver chain around the Tetsusaiga. About a hundred yokai corpses littered the earth, and Kohaku thrust down the chain blade on top of the demonic sword.

Inuyasha scoffed, "Keh! With this level of strength.. Don't think you can fight against me!" He grabbed the chain and whipped it in the opposite direction taking Kohaku with it.

"Inuyasha don't kill him!" I shouted. He looked over his shoulder his face angry yet slight panicked. Panic must be for me.

"I know that!" he snapped.

Kohaku finally landed in the snow. He picked himself up into a crouch, his face expressing no pain. My head pounded.

"I'll grab you and make you wake up!" Inuyasha shouted.

The scent of blood suddenly filled the area. Kohaku had stabbed himself in the back, and Inuyasha froze mid-step. An icy chill ran down my spin, and the boy lifted his hand to his back and started digging his fingers into the bloody wound..

"He's trying to take away the shikon shard!" I shouted.

Sango gasped and suddenly her large boomerang flew over our heads, knocked Tetsusaiga out of Inuyasha's fist, and brought it back to her.

"Sango! What the hell?" Inuyasha hollered, furious.

The boy stopped digging. His eyes met with Sango's for a moment and I felt an odd feeling form in the pit of my stomach. Yes, she was defiantly hiding something from us. From the corner of my eye I saw whips of light float through the trees. As they neared I saw that they were giant glowing flying snakes, who at that moment, picked up the boy on their back.

The air grew tense as the boy disappeared into the setting sun.

"Sango.." Inuyasha said, "You.."

Her eyes narrowed, "Kirara!" Once more the neko transformed. Sango grabbed snatched the Tetsusaiga out from the snow and in a matter of moments they were chasing off after the young taijiya..

What the hell was going on?

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

"Damnit! That bitch Sango!" Inuyasha cursed, leaping into the air. I lifted my aching head off his shoulder and gazed at him.

"Don't be angry Inuyasha. There must be some reason," I whispered.

"Cut that out!" he snapped.

"You cut out your yelling! It makes my head hurt more!" I hissed in reply.

"Sango is most likely being blackmailed by Naraku," Miroku cut in, running up beside us, "Naraku probably holds her brother's life, and so she stole Tetsusaiga. It's exactly the sort of thing Naraku would think of."

"I know that!" Inuyasha shouted.

"Stop yelling!" I whined. My head was pounding.. I could only come to conclusion that this pain comes from shards that have been tainted so horribly by Naraku.. maybe it reacted with the part of me that holds Midoriko's genes, and because it's so corrupted.. she looses inside the jewel, and that pain affects me.. maybe, I wasn't sure.. But it was the only thing I could think of.

A branch snapped against my cheek and I ducked my head into Inuyasha's shoulder. I was in no situation to be running with them. It was already taking a lot out of me to stay conscious. I glanced toward the sky and my breath caught in my throat at what I saw. Full moon. I stared down at my hands and watched my blue hair fly up around my face as Inuyasha jumped into the sky again. I was still normal.. I looked up again and noticed now the moon wasn't 100% complete just yet. I must have at least.. about.. maybe two or three more days left. I exhaled. I'd have to make sure we don't get into anything too big after this.

I clenched my teeth together as the pain suddenly intensified, and I felt Inuyasha skid to a stop. A loud annoying buzz fulled my mind.

"Saimyoushou!"

"Naraku must be close then..!" Shippo squeaked from somewhere beside me.

The buzzing started to fade. I felt Miroku tense beside me, "They're inviting us."

"It could be a trap.." I managed to say, and watched as the yellow and purple bees turned around to watch us.

"Heh, interesting," Inuyasha mused. "That damn Naraku.. it seems he really intends to kill us all off."

"I see.." Miroku murmured, "I can't open the Kazanna without getting poisoned."

"He must have heard from that brat about Kaori," Inuyasha continued, "He had my Tetsusaiga stolen. Also with great precision.. he made reliable use of Sango.."

They decided to go for it.. even though it was most likely a trap. But.. Inuyasha did the most peculiar thing.. He didn't send me away. I was practically unconscious but he took me with them. I watched him the whole way there. I couldn't understand him.. I really couldn't.. Did he no longer worry for me anymore?

The pain in my skull intensified as we got closer and closer, and the scent of Sango's blood filled the air.

Seconds later we arrived in a giant castle. The wood was darker than anything I'd ever seen and red paper doors stood out against the snow.

Sango knelt, in a pool of her own blood, in the middle of the courtyard. Her was back to us, and her arms wrapped around her little brother.. who stood still yet unemotional as she cried. A dark long haired man with glowing red eyes sat on some steps a few feet away, watching them cynically and extremely amused.

My heart thudded painfully against my ribs, forcing the pain in my forehead to just about disappear completely, "Sango!"

"Kaori..?" The taijiya turned her head toward me and I pushed myself off of Inuyasha's back. Her face was sweaty and flushed red. A small trickle of blood ran down her chin from the corner of her mouth.. Suddenly she slid off Kohaku and collapsed to the ground at his feet.

"S..Sango.." Warm droplets of water ran down my cheeks and I didn't bother to wipe them away.

"Her own brother was forced to do it.." The monk mumbled. I looked at the child. He hadn't moved from his position.. But his round freckled face was confused as he stared upon the young woman.. I knew that somewhere deep in his subconscious he knew Sango was his sister. He still loved her. He hadn't completely forgotten..

"Naraku..!" A low canine growl more hostile and angry than I'd ever heard, even from the most viscous of dogs, erupted from the boy in front of me, "You bastard.."

Naraku chuckled, "Kukukuku. Such a foolish lot. You came even though you knew it was a trap, huh."

"Get stuffed!" Inuyasha raced forward, his claws digging onto his own skin as he clenched his fists.

Naraku's dark hair grew and reached out toward the hanyo, blocking his body from view. Inuyasha growled again, slashing through the weak strands in an instant.

The hair fell limp, and Naraku was no longer in his seat.

"Ugh.. He's freaking legged it, huh?" Inuyasha muttered, grudgingly.

"I wont run," Naraku's sinister voice floated about the castle.. almost as if it were from the sky, "Because I wanted you to come here."

The limp hair began to tremble and suddenly they were long black snakes. They slithered quickly along the ground towards me. I growled, the pain in my head now just a dull ache, and slashed through them, my claws glowing yellow. They turned to liquid upon contact and I hissed as the skin on my fingers burned. Miasma.

"Kaori!" Inuyasha shouted, "Idiot don't kill them!"

"Yeah well thanks for that update. I'll sure to put it to good use." I scowled, at his indifference, struggling to pull my sleeve over the burns as they raged upon my arm like wild fire. It hurt.. but.. it was manageable..

"If you want a fight, then you will have one.." Naraku laughed, as more black snakes slithered towards us from every direction, "This place is full of miasma. You'll be covered with it and die."

The dull ache started to grow back into a violent throb and I knelt down beside Sango's unconscious body, letting my hair fall over her. I glanced towards Inuyasha and our eyes met for a second before he looked away.

"Show your self, Naraku!" he cursed. I'd been wrong before. He was worried. Way more extremely worried than he let show. The expression in his eyes at that moment made it clear.

"Kukuku.. Inuyasha.. You low-lifes have no where left to run to."

A group of snakes lunged towards Inuyasha, and he slashed through them, showering himself with miasma. He cursed and stepped back as he revived similar burns as I on his cheek and arms.

"Inuyasha!" Miroku shouted, "If you're covered with the miasma each time you destroy one, your body won't be able to take it!"

"I know that!"

I felt Sango stirr under me and my eyes snapped to her, "Sango-chan."

"I'm.. sorry.." she gasped, her heart beating dangerously slow, "I.."

I shook my head, "It's alright. We understand."

"Thank goodness," Miroku sighed in relief, coming down beside us "Sango's still alive."

"Bah!" Inuyasha scoffed, looking over his shoulder, "Do you think she'll drop dead so easily?"

An inappropriately wave of jealousy hit me. He has full confidence in her abilities but not my own? Ugh, jerk.

"Sango! I'm going to really harass you about this later!" the jerk snapped, "So, don't you die!"

Naraku's sinister laugh filled the air once more, "So you think you can return alive, huh. This is where your lowlifes die. All of this is.. because of Sango's betrayal. Instead of your lives, Sango chose to save her brother's. If you're going to hate someone.. then hate Sango for her shallowness."

The whole crowd of snakes cam rushing towards us at that moment. I heard Inuyasha curse and suddenly the bright red kimono fell over my head.

I growled. No. I wouldn't be the useless one here. I tossed the fire red fabric over Sango, and closed my eyes. I wished for something, a barrier. I couldn't remember how I used to put them up before..

I felt like a balloon was being pulled away from my skin, and was being blown up bigger and bigger.. but it was happening in a faction of a second. I felt something like a hundred knives were just thrown toward my bubble and it flexed and shook where it was hit but nothing happened.

I opened my eyes.

My bubble was red.. a glossy almost transparent red. I wondered why it wasn't the usual pink or purple.. but that didn't seem to change anything. I watched and felt as the snakes lunged into my bubble but then bursting into liquid as they came in contact with it. The dark purple mist seeped over the dome, searching for an entrance.. but it failed and quickly dissolved away into the air.

"Kaori are you doing this?" Miroku asked.

I looked up at him, they were both looking at me in awe, and felt the bubble retract slightly. Ugh.. little beads of sweat appeared on my forehead, and the pounding in my head intensified ten fold. I nodded. This wasn't as easy as I remembered.

"Kukuku.. fool," Naraku hissed..

The ground shook and rumbled, louder and louder.. I felt my body being lifted from the earth.. Suddenly the snow flew up into the air in the centre and inside of my barrier and a cloud of giant black snakes burst from below. My bubble popped and I felt the ground disappear below me. My body twisted and my back hit wood, breaking through upon contact. More pain scorched through my body, and I slid to the ground clenching my teeth together so I wouldn't cry out.

I heard Inuyasha call for me, but I dare not unclench in fear of the tears that threatened to fall. I had to get stronger. The scent of Inuyasha's blood caught me and I opened my eyes.

"Kukuku, how pathetic, eh, Inuyasha?" I looked around, I was in an abandoned room, "Along with your friends you will die in pain. For a failure of a half-yokai, it is an appropriate way to die."

I blinked. My vision went red, my blood boiling in my veins. My thirst for bloodshed returning with a vengeance. I smiled. I didn't care what Inuyasha said. I knew the difference between friend and foe. I knew what I wanted. I sensed the danger. It would not take over my life. I needed this.

I was on my feet, running. Following the disgusting scent of that evil demonic sick bastard. My head throbbed and I stopped. I was halfway through the door. My vision clicked from reality to some find of ex-ray vision and I saw through the wall ahead of me. Tainted jewel shard. I unsheathed my sword. The sound of iron sliding against the scabbard pleasing my thirst.

I gripped them tight in my hands.. and with a flick of the wrist one twisted through the air. It spun in tight spirals throwing crimson blades of light into the air. It cracked through the stone wall which my tainted shards were hiding behind.. and a familiar flash of red exploded through the stone. As soon as my ears picked up on it the second sword transformed into a bow and diamond arrow erupted into a florescent white light bursting through the miasma, demon and out the stone through the back, before disappearing into bright orbs once it touched the snow.

I smiled again digging my toes into the frozen wood beneath them.

"The miasma is dissipating!" I heard Shippo gasp.

"This is.. because of Kaori-sama?" Miroku wondered.

"Kaori.." My eyes flashed toward Inuyasha and then the red in my eyes intensified. He was bleeding, and burned all over. Sweating and weak..

"Naraku, you bastard," I hissed.

The demon stumbled. Half his body had been blown away and he held a missing shoulder with the only arm he had left, "Girl.. you.." he growled, "Who are you.. A long time ago.. there was a girl with the same powers as you.."

I scoffed, my tail twitching occasionally, "You know who I am. You tricked my sister into a trap which got her killed. You tried to kill me a few months go. Let's consider this, as revenge shall we?"

"You're.. Itami Kaori..?"

The my unfamiliar full name made my heart thud against my chest. The red blur started to dissappear from my eyes.. but I hid my reaction and smirked, "Mhmn," Another arrow appeared in my silver bow and I pulled the string. The familiar 'twang' and blinding white light sent a pleasurable shiver up my spine as it shot through the air faster than any bullet and hit Naraku square in the chest bursting his body apart, leaving just his head.

A wave of panic stuck me and my bow turned back into a katana. I had to finish everything. I raced forward and the head grinned.

"Kaori, watch out!" An arm wrapped around my body and I was pulled back, shielded by a cloud of miasma as the head practically exploded. Inuyasha pulled my head into his chest, and the sound of rumbling was all that was heard for a moment..

The pain in my head disappeared and I opened my eyes. We were all sitting in a giant field.. not even a trace of the castle left behind.

"The castle's gone.." Shippo gasped, rubbing a small burn on his cheek.

"It was a fake castle, huh.." Miroku replied, eyeing the area.

I blinked. Naraku is dead..? I looked around and my eyes landed on something. Tetsusaiga and my second katana were trust into a mound of snow together, forming a careful X. I pulled away from Inuyasha and got to my feet. He followed. I pulled my katana from the dirt as he did Tetsusaiga, and bent down to scour the ground.

"Did he escape?" Miroku asked.

I frowned and searched the area with my eyes, "He must have.. the shikon fragment is gone," I sighed and dropped to my knees, exhausted, "I'm sorry. I wasn't strong enough to finish him off.."

"If you hadn't been there, Kaori-sama, all of us would have died!" Miroku exclaimed.

"It seems you.." Inuyasha murmured, "Were the most amazing of all of us."

I blushed and closed my eyes. I didn't feel as though that were true but it was nice to hear nonetheless.

"Ehh! Don't move about Sango!" Shippo shouted. I opened my eyes and turned around. Sango was struggling to her feet, Shippo tugging on the bottom of her long green skirt.

"Sango-chan!" I gasped, running even before I got to my feet.. which caused me to stumble and hold the ground.

"Where are you going?" Miroku asked.

"Sorry.." she breathed, "I can't go with you anymore.."

"Sango.. about your brother, and Naraku threatening you, everybody accepts that."

"That's why!" she shouted, turning on the monk, "I'd betray you all again! Naraku has Kohaku completely under his thumb and therefore me as well!"

"Sango you.. intent to slay Naraku by yourself, don't you?"

"That's the only way.."

"You can't do it alone!" I came up to her and carefully grabbed on her arm preventing her from moving.

"Right," Miroku agreed, blocking her path with his golden staff, "Alone, you can't match him."

"Why.. are all of you.." Sango mumbled.

Inuyasha growled. "Just cut it out already! It's better that we're all together, because you're a strong fighter and that's it so shut up!"

"Inuyasha.." I muttered, giving him a dirty look. That wasn't exactly how you make people feel good.

"While you had stolen Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha had said there wasn't a problem with it," Miroku informed her.

"You saying I'm an idiot or something?" Inuyasha scowled.

"I'm saying you have a big heart."

"Do you hate us, Sango?" Shippo asked, his green eyes watering.

"Is it okay.. for me to come with you?" Sango whispered.

"Hey, we've already said so!" Inuyasha snapped.

The girl trembled and then collapsed into my arms. Her loud uneven sobs shook me.. I bit my lip as tears then welled up in my own eyes. I buried my face into her hair as the the tears escaped down my face and she cried into my chest.

"Why are they crying..?" I heard Inuyasha mumble.

"You really don't understand girls, do you?" Miroku sighed.

Sango had been hurting this whole time. She'd been scared.. that she would be alone. Heartbroken over the loss of everything she held dear..

"It's okay now.." I whispered,"because we'll all be together from now on.."


	23. Jinenji

A/N ~ (18/10/2010): Dates: November 12th. I love this chappter, jinenji is so sweet 3

* * *

**You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.**

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I Do Not Own Inuyasha

* * *

23. Jinenji

The little cream colour neko trembled, as she curled herself tighter into a ball. She was in pain. Before we had arrived, Kirara had tried to best to protect Sango from harm, but Naraku's poison had gotten to her and still coursed through her veins. Sango pulled her hand from under the covers and stroked the small fluffy tail.

"Does it hurt, Kirara?" she whispered.

We had found an old abandoned hut on the edge of a clearing. It might have been a farm at some time, or a hut for a witch of some sorts but right now it was abandoned. Inside, though, was decorated with lots of dust old rugs and faded pots. There was a small fire in the middle, keeping Sango warm, and she rested in my sleeping bag, on one of my large fluffy pillows. She was dressed in my warmest pjs too. I tried to make her as comfortable as possible..

I frowned though as she stroked her neko carefully, and quietly left the hut to join the others. I.. couldn't be in there.. It was too sad. I sighed mournfully and plopped myself into the snow beside Inuyasha.

"What's _your_ problem?" he asked, his voice loud and harsh.

"I have nothing that can cure Kirara," I explained, as the snow melted beneath me, soaking my jeans, "And I feel horrible because of it."

"Don't beat yourself up over it, Kaori-sama," A tiny voice exclaimed. I looked down at Inuyasha's shoulder. Sure enough Meoga was there, sitting calmly as if he'd been there forever.

"And where have _you_ been?" I asked, my eyes narrowing.

"Er.." The flea trailed off glancing around nervously, "That's not the point right now. You want to save Kirara don't you?"

"Yes.. of course."

"Well I know a place where you can find antidote herbs that will cure her almost instantly. However, I heard the field of herbs is protected by a yokai.. so maybe they won't be so easy to get a hold of.."

"Well I think Inuyasha and I can manage." I replied.

Shippo nodded in agreement, "They can just beat up the demon and get the whole field of herbs!"

Inuyasha smirked, crossing his arms over his chest, "Kirara actually took a bite out of Naraku. Unlike Meoga, Kirara has spunk! It's the least we can do for her."

"Unlike Meoga, we can count on Kirara's strength in battle," Shippo added, folding his arms over his chest as well, "She must make a full recovery!"

They both nodded twice.

I blinked and looked back and forth between the two. Change the size, hair colour, eye colour, and species and we got ourselves two Inuyasha's on our hands. I smirked as I watched the two continue to rant about the flea and wondered how much Shippo actually looked up to the guy beside me. It was obviously a lot.

"H-hey!" Meoga squeaked, "I let you guys do the talking and all you do is decide that I'm useless and weak! Physical proness isn't the only criteria for achievement! Give me some credit for having intelligence!"

"No!"

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

Inuyasha sighed, "I think it would have been faster if I went by myself."

I pressed my lips together, "And you bring this up now?"

We trudged through the snow. I refused to run. I refused to go any faster.. I knew we needed the herbs for Kirara, but.. well.. I wanted some alone time with him.. It's been so long.. call me selfish.. but it's how I felt.. besides.. Kirara could last a few more hours couldn't she..?

"Besides," I added, looking up at the cloudy grey sky, "I'm the one who grew up with priestess. I was taught how to decider the good from the bad. You need me for this."

"Yeah, okay, whatever," he muttered, his tone sounding one of a typical bored teenager.

"And.. It's been so long since it was just the two of us.. In fact we've just about never really been alone since right after.. I broke the jewel. Remember..? We met Shippo right after that. That was.. two months ago to the day. You know when I came here it was my birthday, don't you?"

"Really..?" his paced slowed and he ended up behind me.

"Mhmn."

"Well.. why can't we go faster?" he whined. I felt his head rest on my shoulder from behind and I stopped my face burning red.

"Because.. your.. tired?" Wow.. that was kinda pathetic..

He groaned. I stood there waiting for him to get off me, so we could 'go faster'. But he didn't. I waited 5 minutes.. still nothing. What the hell? I heard a soft snore.

"OH MY GOD! DON'T SLEEP ON ME!" I shouted, pulling myself out from under him.

That seemed to wake him up. He fell into the snow with a loud thud and glared up at me, "What the hell?"

"What? _You_ were the one sleeping on me!"

"I was not!"

"Were too!"

"Was not!"

"Oh yeah, and I'm sure it wasn't you who was snoring either. If you were tired why didn't you go to sleep before we left?"

"I don't snore," he growled. His face resembled that of a pouting child and I laughed, walking away from him.

"Hey you stupid don't leave!"

"Why should I stick around someone who is upset with me over nothing?" I called back.

He appeared beside me, "I'm _not_ angry!

"Hmm.. your tone says differently."

"Look I said I'm not mad, okay, I'm not!"

I pressed my lips together again and looked up at him. He rolled his eyes, "Now what?"

"You don't enjoy being around me do you?" I asked. I felt my ears droop and my tail fall limp. I was probably right.

"Depends, is it a trick question?"

"Yes."

"Well then how the hell am I supposed to answer?"

"Why are you always irritated?"

"I'm not you idiot! I was born like this!" he snapped, "Er.. wait..."

I felt a smile grow on my face as he quickly backtracked, realizing being born irritated might not have been the best thing. A small laugh escaped my lips and he came up beside me looking all confused again.

"Jeez and now you're happy again. I don't get you."

"I don't get you either," I replied. I looked ahead and stopped instantly. A group of village men were walking towards us, each carrying the weight of a long wooden board. I smelt human blood and noticed a limp hand fall from under the straw mat placed over it.

"That makes the third one," one of the men sighed, "The bowels were eaten out again."

"Maybe it's Jinenji after all," the oldest one said. He was almost bald except for a small silver pony tail at the back of his head.

"It's obviously him, isn't it?" the first one replied.

"That monster, we won't forgive him for this!" another snapped.

"Bu, but what'll we do?" a thin faced man stuttered, "Even if everyone in the village attacked as a group.."

"Yeah.." A rounder man agreed at his side.

"Well," I chirped, "You obviously have a problem."

The men stopped muttering amongst themselves and looked at us.

"This 'Jinenji' guy, is a yokai?" Inuyasha asked, stepping in front of me as if these old villagers were dangerous. So much for me being the most amazing of them all.

"Wh.. Who're you?" one squeaked.

"Yokais..?"

"Er..." I pulled on the end of my tail, "Sort of.."

The flinched, slowly backing away.

"But we wont hurt you!" I quickly added, "We came to get some medicinal herbs."

"From Jinenji's field?"

I blinked. Wasn't Jinenji the monster?

"Jinenji, lives with his mother, at the edge of the village," they explained, "They have a field of herbs that work well.. Well, even we use those herbs on occasion, but.. but it seems that these days, that Jinenji.. has gone back to remembering the taste of human flesh."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

The field was large. Larger than the small home garden I'd been imagining this whole time. Small bitter smelling leafy green plants grew in long thin rows around a small wooden shack. In the middle of the field a giant worked, pulling out small weeds with his hands.

"That's Jinenji," The villager whispered.

"Dreadful isn't he?"

"Bah!" Inuyasha scoffed.

I looked over this Jinenji over once more, "I wouldn't say dreadful."

He wasn't. His skin was kissed by the sun but covered in many dark scars all over his legs and arms. Bulging eyes, that were one of the most beautiful shades of blue I had ever seen, watched where his steps carefully through the snow. His nose and mouth protuded from his face like a muzzle on a dog, making him look inhuman. Shoulder length slightly curly black hair was pulled back into a pony tail and a kimono of dark blue and grey covered his enormous body. An average person would only reach maybe to the height of his knees. He wasn't really dreadful. Just big..

"Will you really be able to exterminate this demon for us?" one of them asked. I took notice to the kimono patterns. This one was a sun pattern.

"We just came to take the herbs," Inuyasha said, his tone uninterested and bored, "Kaori wait here, this'll be easy."

"Alright then," I watched as he hopped over the bush we'd been hiding behind and stalked up to the yokai, pulling Tetsusaiga out as he went.

"I wonder if that brat is strong enough.." Thin face whispered to sun pattern.

"Well who cares?" sun pattered replied.

"It's a fight between yokai," the oldest explained crouching down beside me as if I weren't there.

"Which ever dies it's okay.." sun pattern added.

My tail twitched in irritation. Jerks.

"So you're the cannibalistic yokai bastard," Inuyasha called, as he approached Jinenji, "Prepare to die!"

I sniffed the air for a sign of any immediate danger as the giant turned around. Hmm.. that was strange. If he was the yokai to attack he'd reak of human blood.. but he didn't.

Suddenly rocks started flying over my head and I ducked to the ground.

"Hey Jinenji!" the men were shouting, "Prepare to die! Quickly! Kill him!"

The giant's blue eyes flashed red for a second, and his body started to tremble. Inuyasha braced himself.

"Maaa!" Jinenji cried, tears streaming down his face, "Maa! Sa-a-ave me-e!" He spun around and dissappared into the small wooden shack.

"Wa..Wait!" Inuyasha shouted. His face was confused, just as maybe mine was, and I leaped to his side, "Wait I said! Damn you!"

"You bastards!" An elderly, sickly thin woman raced from the cabin, holding a large wooden plank over her shoulders, "I've said it again and again, stop coming after our damn field!"

She raised and then thrust the log over Inuyasha's head. A loud crack pierced my hears and the wood splintered into a hundred pieces. Inuyasha just stood there, his face just as confused as a few moments ago. He seemed unharmed.

"Whaa! Those brats are done for!" The oldest man cried.

"He's weak!" Sun pattern gasped.

A moment later they were on their feet, racing back into the forest toward their village.

"Woooow.." I said rocking back and forth on the balls of my feet, "They're soooo brave."

Inuyasha looked at me, his face unamused, "What's with them?"

"They're the typical all bark but no bite type people."

"Hey you," The woman's said between laboured breaths, "I don't know what rubbish those damn villagers have you told. But this child could never eat someone's bowels. Don't let them fool you, he's just a hanyo!"

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

"You're called.. Inuyasha and Kaori right?"

We were now sitting in the shack. It had looked smaller from the outside. Inside the walls were a dark ocean blue, and green herbs were strung along the walls. But these were not bitter smelling as the ones outside. They smelled sweet, filling the room with their intoxicating scent.

The old woman sat in front of us, carefully poking a small fire, and the hanyo Jinenji was curled up on the side watching me with those piercing blue eyes.

"Now that I look , you're both hanyo too, aren't you?" the woman muttered.

"Mm.."

"You got that right, babaa," Inuyasha and I nodded.

"I thought so.. because while you may have a pretty face for a half-yokai.." Her dark beady eyes stared us down.,"Your shape, however you look at is, it's half transformed."

"'Half transformed'?" I echoed. I pinched one of Inuyasha's silver ears and tugged gently, "You mean these things, right?"

He growled, and grabbed mine, pulling harder than I had, "No she means these!"

I yelped, "Let go!"

"No you let go!"

I growled and our small bickering some how became more physical. By the time the woman cut, in his hand was on my tail, the other holding back my arm, and one of my hands were grasping his ears, while the other was being held up in the air.

"That would be a good guess with you," she said as I started to lean back from his obvious physical dominance. We froze and turned our attention back to her, "Just because Jinenji here is called 'half-yokai', you can see how those villagers have come to treat us.."

"Bullied right?" I asked.

"Humph.. More like they seemed to be trying to kill him several times."

"I'm sorry, Ma.." Jinenji whispered. His voice was deep, slow, and soothing to the ears, "It's my fault you get picked on."

The woman looked up at him her eyes worried and sad, "What are you saying Jinenji? We haven't done anything wrong. Your Oyaji-dono was, such a magnificent and find yokai.."

She sighed and closed her eyes, losing herself in a memory. Her face resembled that of a young woman just newly wed.. without a care in the world, "Now nostalgic. This was all.." Her eyes opened and she looked at me, "Maybe when I was about your age.. A time when I was in difficulty with a sprained ankle on the mountain, and it was your oyaji-dono who saved me. He had the appearance of a beautiful man, but I soon realized he was a yokai. The glowing light around him have it away."

She touched her hand to her cheek and stared at nothing in particular, the soft wrinkles slowly turning into a light shade of pink, "And the two of us.. shard a burning love together."

My face burned and I covered my mouth with my hands as I giggled.

"Just a sec, Babaa." Inuyasha said, his eyes falling to an accusing glare, "That means that _you _are the human parent?"

I gasped shoved him onto the floor. "Inuyasha that's mean!"

"What did you think I was!" The woman shouted.

Jinenji lowered a large hand down in front of me, in his palm carrying a small gray bag, "Here, for your friend who you said was poisoned."

I hesitated, but reached out to take it from him, "Thanks.. How much?"

"Nonsense!" The woman cried with a smile, "It's the least we can do to make up for hitting your friend here with that log."

"Ehh, it's alright, he's a big boy he can take it," I smirked. Inuyasha rolled his eyes at me but said nothing.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

"Inuyasha, I really don't think we should be leaving just yet." I called as he trudged ahead, the wind blowing his silver hair so far back some of it tickled my cheek.

"What do you mean?" he muttered, keeping his face down.

"Well.." I quickened my pace to catch up with him, "Those idiot men think Jinenji is the one attacking the village. He may be different but you know he's kind enough not to do something like that."

"But that's what it does mean when you're different. Nobody trusts you, you're always the first to be blamed, and it is always, always your fault!" Silver bangs fell over amber eyes and he pushed forward.

I pulled myself ahead of him and ducked my head down to see the face he tried to hide so carefully, "Hey.."

"What?"

"You weren't-"

"We've brought every single sword and spear we have."

I stopped and turned around. The cowardly men from before all knelt down beside a pile of weapons, eyeing them approvingly, "Now that have these, we'll be able to beat that Jinenji!"

"We gotta kill him before he gets us," said sun pattern.

"Hey! You can't kill him!" I shouted.

The men raised their heads, "Oh it's you two again."

"Yes it's us two again!" I snapped, "What are you talking about? Attacking Jinenji?"

"Of course we are!" Sun patterns eyes narrowed as he looked upon me, and my tail twitched again. His dark eyes moved from it and then up to my ears and his frown deepened.

"There's no evidence it's him," I scowled.

"Of course it's him!" he shouted.

I growled, letting my lips curl up to expose the fangs. They stepped back.

Inuyasha pushed a head of me, blocking them from my view and I sighed. I was getting too aggressive again, "You bastards. It seems you've really been picking on Jinenji a lot."

"Hmm? What's that?" Thin face gulped.

"Well, what ever's been going on.. we have to get the real culprit, else this place wont ever be at peace."

A low murmur erupted through the crowd, "Are you saying you're going to capture whoever it is?"

"I'll go back to the field then," I said.

"Why?" Inuyasha's eyes finally attached to mine, and they were confused. He must wonder why I wouldn't want to be on the fighting lines as usual.

"I'm going to stay there and protect Jinenji if you decide to go through with this," I explained, "If I end up hurt in anyway.. Inuyasha will come and wreak havoc on your village and terrorize the children and drink all your water. Yep."

"I will? Since when?" Inuyasha yelped, his face glowing pink.

"Since now!" I snapped turning on him, "You better terrorize those children! You have to! If you don't and I die, I'm coming back as a ghost to haunt you for the rest of your life! Do you want that Inuyasha? Do you want me to irritate you at the worst random times?"

"No!"

"Well then you're going to go rampant right!"

"W..well.. I guess I can go rampant.."

"Okay good!" I turned back to the villagers, "He's gonna go rampant."

"What's with these two.." They murmured. "The guy seems rather unreliable.. The girl.. just plain crazy.."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

"So the villager's said that did they?"

"Mm. So until everything is okay again, I'll stick around here to help," Kaori rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet as her tail wagged back and forth only slightly so it seemed like it was a constant wiggly line. It was odd to her, she barely paid attention to the thing, and yet it was always doing something. Maybe, she thought, she needed to watch it more often.

The old woman watched her with a curious eye, "As you wish."

A smile appeared on the girl's face and she nodded. Turning around to run to Jineinji she came to a skidding halt at his feet, almost tripping several times from the slipperiness of the snow.

"So I just pull the weeds right?" she asked, her black ears twitching now and then to capture the minuscule sounds around her.

"Y.. yes.."

As Kaori bent to attack a pack of weeds, the giant boy shifted over a few rows. He didn't want to scare her away.

Kaori noticed and raised her head. She looked the amount of lighter coloured scars along his body, almost everywhere that was visible had them. She wondered, how many of them were inflicted by the villagers? She felt sad for him.. not sorry, but sad.

"How come you don't leave this place?" she asked, "Find some where better where your not treated so poorly. There are people who accept us now.. not many, but I'm sure you'll be able to find them if you tried."

"This place is best," Jinenji replied, in his deep yet soft voice, "Because my Pa left us this farm."

"Oh.. I see."

His blue eyes watched as a delicate hand trailed along the snow, leaving many lines which soon turned into a small picture. A yokai man, a human woman, and a giant crystal ball between them.

"What's that?" he asked her.

"It's a picture of a painting I once saw.." she replied, "Kind of like your garden, the painting was something left by my mother."

His heart pounded in his chest. He.. Jinenji.. was having a conversation. For the first time in his life.. he was talking to a girl..

A loud rumbling echoed through out the forest, shaking the ground with it's constant beats. Kaori yelped, tail jumping between her knees, and her ears falling to the side. She trembled, digging her claws into the fabric of her sweater, "W..Was t-that.. thunder?"

"No," Jinenji reached out a finger and touched the top of her head. It fit perfectly between her ears, "It's just the ceremonial drums from the village. They beat them, sometimes, to wish luck when they're about to go into battle, but sometimes for other things."

Her face went pink, "Oh.."

"Are you scared of thunder..?"

"Uhm.. well yeah, sort of.."

The old woman stood watching their backs. Her dark eyes confused, and her hands just barely held onto the small wicker basket of herbs. This girl was afraid of something as non-threatening as thunder or drums, just a noise, instead of Jinenji?

The sky turned a rose pink as the sun slowly fell to the ground. Birds chirped and fluttered into the sky as Jinenji threw seeds to the clouds. The birds flew to it, catching them in their tiny beaks. Kaori's childish laugh rang through the field, and a giant smile light up her features. She held out a finger to the birds, a black onyx tail wagging back and forth in an adorable delight. A few sparrows flew to her, landing on the top of her head, shoulder and outstretched finger.

She giggled and beamed up at the gentle hanyo beside her, "Heh, look Jinenji!"

A shy smile formed on his face and he nodded. So this is what they mean by 'happiness'.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

Inuyasha ran as fast as he could, following his nose through the dark icy forest. That girl from before had the scent of a yokai on her. He could just follow that and.. He stopped. The ground below..?

The hanyou dropped to all fours, digging and then sniffing the wet leaves. This was it! He punched the ground as hard as he could. It quivered and then fell apart. He hit ground a second later with a loud '_thump_' and looked around.

Human bones littered the rocky cave, the scent of stale blood and the yokai blanketing everything. A bright green glowing substance told Inuyasha he was right. This was the yokai's nest. Tiny white circular objects were embedded in the goop each broken and shattered.

Inuyasha stretched out a finger into the oozing green. These were eggs. But.. they all hatched out recently.. He got to his feet and looked around. But there wasn't even anyone here.. Were they thrown out of the nest? He wondered.

Panic struck him. He was wrong. The yokai must of led it's children out of the nest. He leaped out of the cave, rushing towards the village. Kaori was in danger.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

The bare tree branches rusted about outside and the wind sent tornado of snow into the air. Kaori stood on her feet, staring down at the villagers. They glowed orange from the fire on their torches, each baring a murderous face. They held swords and spears, and those who didn't, came bearing heavy rocks.

"Come out here Jinenji!" They hollered, throwing rocks at the hut. Kaori slunk behind a tall pillar standing high on top of the roof and watched, safe from the range of fire.

"You damn villagers!" The old woman screeched, running at them a garden hoe in hand. They changed their direction of fire, and the scent of blood hit Kaori's nose.

She leaped into the snow, flexing her claws as they ceased fire. They took a few steps back.. wary of this one.

"I told you I'd be here," she growled. She glanced over her shoulder towards the old woman, "Are you alight?" She asked, noticing a small trickle of blood coming from the woman's hairline.

"Get out of the way, wench!" Sun pattern shouted, "Why are you siding with them!"

"They haven't done anything wrong, you stupids!" Kaori snapped, "You would realize that if you would just open your pathetic little minds and tried to get to know them!"

"Nevermind her!"

"She's one of them! Just look at those ears and tail!"

"Kill them all!"

Flames were tossed into the dark sky and flew to the wooden shack. The flames crackled and danced to the moon and in a matter of seconds the whole thing was on fire. Kaori cursed, tossing her blue hair over her shoulders and grabbing the woman and leaping to a safer place in the area. "Stay here!"

But as the words left her lips a large snake like creature rose up behind the villagers. It's face was almost human, but long spiny legs sprouted from it's skull. It's eyes had no pupil and were just bright crimson. Pink tentacles sprouted from it's mouth and a sharp tongue pulled out of sun patterns lifeless body. Smaller yokai burst from the darkness and mowed down on the man's insides.

"S..see.." The old woman gasped, "They're eating his bowels."

The sharp tongue burst from the giant yokai's mouth and another man went down, "Go ahead.." The yokai hissed, "Get the rest.."

Kaori inhaled sharply and ran into the hut, grabbing Jinenji's cowering body and leading him to his mother, "Stay with your mother. Keep her safe." Without any further instruction Kaori whipped around, slashing through the baby yokai in one swipe. To her relief none of these burst into any kind of poison.

"Why you.." The mother youkai hissed as she looked upon her kin, half now lifeless upon the ground. She growled and a scaly spiked tail cracked like a whip as it shot out at the female hanyo.

Kaori gasped and the ground disappeared below her. A sharp pain and fire burst through her body from her stomach, and she choked. Coughing up blood into her hand. A spike from the yokai's tail had stabbed her through the abdomen.. and was now holding her up in the air. High out of the reach of even Jinenji.

"I'm going to devour your insides," The yokai hissed.

Jinenji's eyes flashed red and an agonizing scream pieced the air. A giant fist was thrust through the yokai's mouth and out the back, and Kaori came crashing toward the ground. She managed to land safely on her feet, but the snow below her splattered red and she collapsed onto her knees holding her waist.

"Jinenji!"

"Please escape.." the boy pleaded, his bright blue eyes filling with tears, "You are the only one who ever treated me like a normal person.. If I let you die here I will not be able to go on living!"

"_Sankon Testusou_!"

A flash of yellow ripped apart the rest of the child yokai and a blur of red suddenly skid to a stop beside the hanyo girl.

"Kaori!" Inuyasha gasped. "Are you alright!"

She forced a laugh but winced, "Oh yeah.. couldn't better!"

Inuyasha turned away from her glaring at the villagers, "What the hell are you bastards doing here?"

"Yo.. you! We're saved!" they cried.

"Inuyasha!" Kaori hissed, "Never mind them help Jinenji!"

"I'm going to eat your arm!" The yokai snapped.

"NO!" Kaori spun around staring at the old woman, her face full of mortified shock, "Don't help him! Jinenji must fight alone."

"Why!" she shouted.

Inuyasha stopped watching the mother with steady amber eyes. So that's why.. He heard the sound of shuffling snow and turned around. The village men were sneaking away. The boy growled and jumped in front of them, folding his arms over his chest, "You bastards are watching till the end."

"Inuyasha!" Kaori ran up to him, with tears threatening to fall. Her wasit and left arm were covered in blood but she now moved as if she could feel no pain, "Jinenji is going to-!"

"Don't worry, Kaori," Inuyasha stated simply, watching as the tall man strained against the yokai, "Jinenji won't lose."

The old woman bowed her head. "Jinenji because you are kind.." She whispered. "You've endured being made fun of by the villagers.. however.. SHOW THESE VILLAGERS WHAT YOUR TRUE POWER IS!"

Jinenji's eyes flashed crimson once more and he thrust his arm further into the youkai's head. His body glowed a bright blue and suddenly the youkai exploded into a thousand pieces and then dissolved into the bright white light that surrounded him.

Kaori stumbled and grasped onto Inuyasha's arm for support. "Am..amazing.."

"Well at least now those villagers will also be a bit quieter.." Inuyasha mumbled, his face dark and cynical.

Jinenji turned around, and walked towards them, wipping away the sweat on his face.

The villagers yelped, pressing their faces to the ground. "We, we're sorry we doubted you!" They cried. "P, Please don't kill us!"

"W.. wait they're scare of him now!" Kaori yelped.

"That's why, things'll be okay!" Inuyasha replied. "It really looks like they can't be friends. In which case they should find out just who is the stronger of them."

Kaori growled. "You just don't know anything."

"What was that!"

Jinenji reached out an open hand. "Uhm.. everyone's also.. injured. These herbs.. are good at healing wounds." He explained shyly.

"HEY!" Inuyasha shouted. "ARE YOU AN IDIOT OR WHAT! IF YOU DO THAT NOTHING WILL CHANGE!"

"Inuyasha, Osuwari!" Kaori snapped and the boy was sent crashing toward the ground.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

"Are you sure?" Kaori asked, rubbing the fresh bandaged around her waist.

"Sure. You've got your herbs now. Go home." The woman replied.

The girl pursed her lips together. "Well.. alright. Jinenji-san! We'll be leaving then."

"Ahh.. sure.." The giant mumbled.

"Goodbye. Thanks for everything," she said. She reached out for his giant hand and brought it to her face, carefully nuzzling it affectionately, "I hope we meet again some day."

His face went crimson and he watched silently as she walked away, disappearing into the darkness. He hoped they'd met again too.

"Inuyasha.."

"Hm?"

"Did.. that happen to you too?" Kaori asked timidly.

"What?"

"Mm.. bullying."

"Bah!" he scoffed, "You idiot. If that happened to me, I wouldn't keep quiet about it."

"I guess.." she wasn't convinced.

An awkward silence followed.

"Because I wasn't.. we aren't either." He finally said.

"Hm?" Kaori looked up from her hands.

"We're not yokai, we're not human. You can't go with either," he explained, "That's why.. I thought I could only have a home if I seized it by force.. and so I lived like that, and then I realized I was all alone."

Inuyasha stared down at the ground letting his bangs fall over his face, "It was the only.. way that I knew how.."

Kaori reached out a hand and grabbed the red fabric on his arm, "Inuyasha.. I'm.. really happy."

He pulled his arm away, staring at her as if she might be crazy, "Hey, just what do you think I've been talking about..?"

"Because.. it's the first time you've told me about your past.." she replied, a small smile on her face, "I.. I knew there was something. But.. I always wanted to know exactly what. I'm glad that you trust me enough to let me see this vulnerable side of you."

"That.. makes you happy?"

"Mhmn."

Inuyasha snorted, and pushed ahead, "It's like you're saying I never give in!"

"But.. I want to understand you.." Kaori confessed.

He stopped.

"I'm a hanyo too, remember? But.. I was lucky to be human and I missed out on that.. or maybe unlucky. I never lived it. So.. I don't know what it's like. If it would help me understand you more.. then I'd gladly live it over for the rest of my life. But.. it's okay now though isn't it? You're not alone anymore."

She was right. Inuyasha thought, turning to look at her. When had it happened? It seemed to natural.. now that he remembered it.. some how.. from the time when she had been a little child till now.. some where between there, she'd turned into someone so much more important that he had realized. The only comfort he'd ever really known, always came from her..

"Besides," she smiled, tugging on the bright red ribbon around her wrist and then taking his hand, "we're going to be friends forever, you can trust me."


	24. A Battle On The Full Moon

A/N ~ (19/10/2010): Dates: November 13 - november 14

* * *

**You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.**

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I Do Not Own Inuyasha

* * *

24. A Battle On The Full Moon

"The corpses of yokai rained down from the sky?"

"Yes.."

We were in a village, a very small and secluded one. Far from anything but a giant mountain off in the distance. I sat on the wooden steps leading up to a door and a temple as the others stood around me and listened to the a villager's tale. Sango and Kirara had healed quite well with Jinenji's medicine so we were off on another adventure.. But I couldn't sit still. I was restless. We couldn't go off saving people today. Not now. Tonight was it: the full moon. I could feel the oppressive weight of a human's weakness bearing down on me already, and it was only noon..

"By the way how has everyone been feeling?" Miroku asked.

"Horrible," I muttered. I noticed Inuyasha glimpse my way but I avoided his gaze, and stared at a rotting body only a few feet off. It was another of those weaker, yokai, bugs. It's flesh was a deep navy blue and dried blood covered it's body.

"Well.. the old, the children.. and the weak have been keeling over," a certainly well fed man answered. He must have been the chief of the village, for no one could have gotten that pudgy with a common villager's work load. His face was round and red, reminding me of a pig, and his dark beady eyes watched us pleading, yet fearful.

"Not surprising," Miroku's dark navy eyes were intense as he folded his arms into the sleeves of his robes, "It must have originated from some strong evil around here."

"So, we're saving people again. If we have time to do this.." Inuyasha muttered as we now wandered through the dense forest. I found myself unable to keep up with him at the head of the group and kicked myself for not mentioning my soon to be transformation. Something was keeping me from saying so. Maybe I expected someone to remember, but no one would, I knew that.

"Do you have something to do?" I challenged him. Really, it wasn't his night, so what should he have to worry about?

"Look for Naraku!" he snapped.

Miroku let out a sigh, "Naraku probably won't recover for a while. At any rate, because of Kaori-sama he probably wont be doing anything for a while. Besides.." He drew a gold charm bracelet from his kimono and ambled up to me, catching my hand in his own, "In thanks, I would like you to take this. For saving me, I mean."

I gazed at it; the small jingling and shimmering gold stealing my attention, "Wow.."

Inuyasha snatched it away and snarled, "You stole it, didn't you!"

"Inuyasha! Can't I give little Kaori-sama a gift without you getting jealous?" Miroku inquired, taking my shoulders and giving them a squeeze.

"Don't touch her!"

"Apart from Naraku.." Sango interrupted, rolling her eyes, "I was wondering if there are other yokai which radiate such strong evil."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

"You foolish, blockhead, MORONIC girl!"

"Hey! Don't call me a moron! I did nothing wrong here!"

"Oh no nothing except NOT mention that tonight was the full moon!"

I huffed and folded my arms over my chest. We were on the mountain side, extremely close to the source of an evil power. Silver light from the moon shone down from above, exposing the copper returning to my hair. I watched as my claws decreased down to just ordinary nails, along with my long tail as it completely disappeared. I felt my ears turn to human ones and frowned as my vision dimmed, no longer able to detect the smallest pebble in the darkest of nights.. Ugh, how irritating.

"Well what do we do?" Sango wondered, setting down her large bone boomerang.

"We can't go back.." Shippo observed from my shoulder.

"But Kaori can't be seen," Miroku finished.

An irritated growl rumbled from inside Inuyasha's chest and his fire rat kimono fell over my head, "Wear it."

I quickly shoved my hands through the sleeves and pulled my hair out of the high ponytail. It wasn't very likely that we'd run into anyone we knew where them knowing my night could be a danger to me.. the only one we had to worry about now was Naraku really. But.. it was just better to be safe, so I let my hair fall over my face. It wasn't much to mask my identity but it was all I had for right now.

Inuyasha grabbed my shoulder and pulled me so close and held me there. I might as well have been glued to him.

"Alright lets go."

We reached a miner's tunnel moments later. A low loud rumbling emitted from the darkness causing the weak wooden beams, supporting the tunnel, to tremor.

"Kaori stay here," Inuyasha instructed, "I'm going inside."

"Why!" I shouted, in protest. My voice echoed across the sky and down the cliff below, and Inuyasha gave an irritated grunt.

"Because you're an untrained human without her yokai strength to protect her anymore."

"Oh yeah.."

"I see," Miroku came up beside me, snaking a arm around my waist, "In which case I'll stay back and guard Kaori-sama."

Inuyasha's face twisted into an expression of controlled fury, "You. Are. Coming. With. Me."

Miroku was yanked from my body, as the hanyo snatched his collar. Infuriated, Inuyasha dragged the monk into the mouth of the cave, without giving me another glance.

"Alas, my love!" Miroku shouted as the distance between us grew, "We have been separated again!"

"Shut up!"

That oh so familiar smirk was on Miroku's face as Inuyasha punched him and I rolled my eyes. He'd kill himself trying to prove a point.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

Sango pulled her knees to her chest and burred her face into them. We sat on some rocks by the cliff edge, the moon gazing down upon us, trapping me in vulnerability.

"Sango are you okay?" I asked, crawling up beside her, "The dark energy is getting to you isn't it?"

Holding that gray gas mask over her face, she took a deep breath and nodded, " But what about you, Kaori? You seem perfectly okay."

I shrugged, "For the moment."

"I feel fine as well," Shippo added, popping up beside me, "Though the power inside would probably be worse."

I looked toward the entrance to the miner's cave. It was dark, and impossible to see through. I could not detect any signs of life, or hear their voices and footsteps anymore. I wondered if they were alright..

"Kaori!"

My head snapped up and my heart gave a jolt. No.. It couldn't be.. I watched as a giant whirlwind of dust was kicked up into the air on the horizon, and felt two shikon shards came up fast. I scrambled to my feet, not knowing what else to do. Do I run? Do I hide? Or do I face _him_? I didn't have anymore time to think as moment later, the whirlwind died, and that tall, mangy, wolf man, blocked the only route of escape.

Koga looked at me, his face confused, his body frozen. Sniffing the air, he took a step closer, and I stood my ground. I noticed a few scars on his face, and a healing wound on shoulder, and for a moment I wondered where he'd gotten those.

"Hey, Kaori? What happened? You're human again?"

My voice was caught. Now what? What was I doing? Koga was here, he's seen me human! That's bad.. Inuyasha was definitely going to be upset about this..

"Ah.. yes.." I replied, shakily, "Hanyos.. such as myself change human once a month.. Inuyasha let me wear his kimono tonight since I'm vulnerable.."

"You're with that stupid mutt again! _AND _he left you alone!" he shouted, taking my arm, "No wonder you reak of him, come with me, I'll take you somewhere safe."

"No!" I pulled my arm away and pointed toward my friends behind me, "My friends, Shippo and Sango are here. Sango is a trained yokai exterminator I have full confidence in her capabilities. Also I still have my spiritual powers.. I'm not _completely_ vulnerable.. You don't need to protect me."

Koga's icy blue eyes gazed over my shoulder, showing instant recondition at the sight of the kitsune. But Sango and him glared at each other both wary and suspicious. The yokai and the yokai exterminator.. I frowned placing myself between them.

"Okay so - Koga this is Sango. Sango this is Koga. Koga is a wolf yokai who we met up with a while ago," I explained, keeping my voice calm.

"Also her fiancé," Koga added, grabbing my hand again.

I bit my lip and looked at the Taijiya pleadingly. She was silent in response, her eyes suspicious, and confused. She, like Miroku, I was sure, thought that there was stuff going on with me and Inuyasha.. So.. possibly, because I'm 'engaged' to Koga, maybe she thought of me of a two-timing monster..

"Yeah.. I almost forgot that part," I exhaled, prying his fingers off my hand, "Though I'm still not sure when I agreed to that... Uhm.. Kaede _did_ explain about me being a hanyo to you right?"

He nodded, looking around, catching the scent of something unseen in the darkness I was sure.. I knew that look.. "Something about this miko's soul suppressing your own keeping you in the form of a human?"

"Yeah. But I still have all my miko and shard seeing skills.. now along with a few more demonic ones.. I'm actually pretty amazing."

A strange look entered his eyes as he turned back to me and I smiled cheerfully in return. I know this was stupid. This arrogant man had taken me as his 'mate' without any thought of my opinion.. But.. He spent practically two months searching for me. There was something about that.. I just couldn't hate him. I felt two pairs of eyes staring into my back and turned to look at the others. They were both staring at me, with faces that were shouting not to forget Inuyasha in the tunnel behind.

Of course I couldn't forget about him. But was it wrong to be nice for someone who showed so much commitment? "Anyways, Koga, why are you here?"

"I came looking for you since that day, Inuyasha had told me that you'd ran off. I've been tracking your scent all over this damn country."

"Erm.." I rubbed the back of my neck, "About that.. um.. I never ran off after that one time. Inuyasha lied.. to get rid of you.."

"What!"

I flinched, a signal in my blood telling me there was danger. Sango leaped between us. Koga growled.

I looked over his shoulder as I heard the sound of sandals against rock.. and my breath caught in my throat. "Kik.. Kikyo!"

She hesitated as she heard her name and looked up at me. Her raven hair was framing her pale face let out of her traditional ponytail, and she look strong despite everything. Her kimono, the red pants and white top, were torn and stained here and there with blood. She must have been fighting recently and at the sight of her I had almost forgotten that one night, that one kiss.

"I see. So Inuyasha has gone inside then," she mumbled, gazing over the four of us.

I froze and all the cruel words she had ever spoken to me that night came flooding back. I was angry then, and that icky feeling of jealousy washed over me in that moment. Why was she here? What was she doing? What did Inuyasha have to do with anything?

She stared at me, her expression blank, and then her brown eyes quickly swept over the others again.

"You shouldn't trust your secrets to so many people, Kaori," she said, gliding past me, her voice even and unemotional, "You may end up _dead_ because of it."

I turned on my heel as she disappeared into the cave and a rush of words came out almost a second too late, "What would you know? You're even alive, you don't know anything!"

I felt a small electric shock run through my body from my head to my toes, and fell to my knees. My breathing came out in short laboured breaths and I cursed. I had made her mad. I slightly regretted letting my emotions take over me, and regret lashing out in jealousy, but.. it felt good regardless.

"Kaori-chan!" Sango gasped, running up to me, "Are you alright?"

"Who the hell was that miko!" Koga growled, watching the space where she'd disappeared, half ready to run after and kill her.

"Yeah I'm alright. She is my older.. well sort of. A long time ago.. and.. well even now I guess.. Inuyasha was in love with her. I just made her mad with what I said, that's all," I stumbled to my feet and grabbed my backpack, " You know, your typical case of sibling rivalry.. I'm going after her!"

"Wait! Kaori-chan!"

"Shippo, Koga, stay with her!"

"No!" Koga growled, throwing me onto his back, "I'm going with you."

As he ran with me further and further into the blackness a familiar pain grew in my temples and I hissed. Not now! Why? This stupid migraine will be the death of me, I swear! I shut my eyes and hid my face. Why was Kikyo here? Was she here to see Inuyasha? To try once more to bring him to hell? My heart beat in my chest and a strong fury fulled me.. much like the one on that night, throwing my migraine almost into non-exsistancy. Jealousy? No, I wasn't, this feeling couldn't be.. There was no reason for me jealous.. I knew the situation, I knew where I stood, and she before me in importance..

A light shone a head and Koga tensed, and quickly slowed to a stop. I hopped off his back and he trailed behind. His tail, I noticed was almost curled between his legs. I wondered if the darkness in here was getting to him, although it shouldn't.. or.. did he sense a danger I no longer detect?

I noticed a small bundle of dark blue huddled to the side and quickened my pace, "Miroku!"

The bundle flinched and rolled over, and a pair of shocked tired blue eyes met my own,"Kaori-sam- is that Koga?"

"Yes it is.. He finally found me," I knelt down beside him, resting my hands on his arm and shoulder. He was sweating and looked painfully weak, "Are you alright?"

"Yes. It's just the miasma is all.. You seem quite well."

"Mhmm," I looked out into the light as Koga crouched down almost in front of me, blocking me from any immediate danger. I was surprised on how little he'd been speaking.. but.. I didn't pay too much attention to that. We were sitting on the edge of a cliff but the cliff didn't lead out, it lead into a giant bowl.

Inside the giant stone bowl Inuyasha and a giant yokai-oni thing, fought against each other in a littler of yokai corpses and a pool of blood. Off to the side directly beneath us.. Kikyo lay unconscious on the rocks.

The oni chucked, "This woman isn't human.." he reached out a giant clawed hand, "I'll make her part of my own flesh and blood then.."

"Don't you dare touch, Kikyo!" Inuyasha hollered. A sharp pain stabbed my chest, as he sliced through the arm that had been reaching for my sister. The arm fell into the pool with a loud splash and Inuyasha whipped around leaping toward the miko, "Kikyo!"

A dark smile appeared on the oni's face and his shoulder started to bubble. Suddenly a centipede yokai's body shot out from it and knocked back the silver haired boy.

"You bastard!"

"Don't get heated up Inuyasha!" Miroku yelled, leaning far over the cliff. I grabbed his arm, steadying him as it looked like he was about to fall, "If you go and defeat that guy, because of Kodoku, your body will.."

"Shut up!" Inuyasha snarled, snapping his head up to look at the monk. His face fell as he noticed me and then infuriated once more as he caught sight of Koga. The wolf yokai shifted and the rock beneath me rumbled like thunder. I withheld a gasp but my hands, letting go of Miroku as he pulled away from the edge, grasped onto the fur covering Koga's shoulders. I noticed Inuyasha look away, going back to fight the oni monster, his face.. seemed almost hurt.

I felt bad then.. but.. I did have that inexplainable fear of thunder that had never been revealed as it never stormed.. I couldn't blame him.. but then he had Kikyo, who cares what I do, right?

"Miroku.." I whispered, pulling Inuyasha's kimono tighter around me," What's Kodoku..?"

"It means that if he continues to fight in this place.." Miroku explained, keeping his eyes on the red and white figure below, "Whether he wins or loses, because of the kodoku it means his body will be fused with the yokai's regardless."

"Good then," Koga scoffed, "The faster that bastard is taken out of this world the better."

I growled, pulling the collar of Inuyasha's kimono over my head like a hood and shoved past him, "Shut up, Koga."

"Where are you going?" Miroku gasped.

Koga grabbed my arm as I leaped down the cliff, preventing me from falling to my death, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"For safety reasons, my name is now Kagome," My headache returned, "I have a feeling Naraku is around.. I'm going to get my sister's body so Inuyasha wont have to fight anymore!" I yanked my hand out of his gasp and landed on my knees a few feet below. Inuyasha.. would never just watch her die.. and even though there's been some hostile feelings between us too.. I couldn't either.. She was my sister.. sibling rivalry can wait.

I heard Koga curse and suddenly he was in the fight too. I blocked out any exchange the two boys might have shared and ran toward my sister.

"Onee-san!" I called as I knelt down beside her. She struggled to open her eyes, "You're awake, good. Can you stand?"

A loud crack of shattering rock pierced my ears and I looked to the battle as Kikyo pulled herself up. A giant tail snapped toward us and I flinched, tackling Kikyo's body onto a lower platform. I exhaled sharply as the air was forced from my lungs and slowly thrust myself upright.

"You.. You're such a fool.."

I blinked and gazed toward Kikyo. She was on all fours staring at the ground, her shiny black hair falling over her shoulders into her eyes, "You being down here means that.. Inuyasha will completely lose you.."

I swallowed nervously and whipped away the sweat from my forehead. As my skin made contact with each other a giant pain burst through my temples and I cried out in agony. Why.. why did this hurt more each time... "You're wrong.. he won't lost me.."

"Kaori!" Koga and Inuyasha gasped.

"My name is Kagome you freaks!" I shouted, my eyes blind from the dark spots flickering before them.

"Kagome..?" Kikyo questioned, casually. I suddenly felt at ease. I heard no malice in her voice. Just.. the same Kikyo I had known as my sister.

"This girl.. my other sister in my other world.. it's kind of a long story" I gasped. I was only using this name for one reason.. If my suspicions were correct.. about my headache and Sango's about the size of this immense soul crushing dark energy.. Then this.. probably, some how, had to do with Naraku.. and Naraku could not know that I was human on the night of the full moon..

"You scum!" I heard Inuyasha shout.

"Damnit! Where where you're swinging that thing, dog turd!"

I heard a giant blast and a bright yellow light burst through my black spots. I blinked as the golden light shone brighter and brighter like lighting through the air.. but then suddenly a light pink shooting star struck the lightning and it was gone. The shooting star flew up and out the top of the bowl into the sky and Kikyo stood in front of me, holding an empty bow. What was she doing..? I realized as the light disappeared that it had been Inuyasha's sword, and the shooting star.. Kikyo's arrow.. What was she attacking Inuyasha for?

But then how had Inuyasha pulled off that lighting move..? It looked so familiar.._ "Let me show you, little brother..." Sesshoumaru hissed, "The destructive power of the Tetsusaiga." _Was that Tetsusaiga's true power. Inuyasha had finally did it? But then why did Kikyo stop it..? Another throb pierced my skull and all my thoughts were destroyed.

Inuyasha and Koga stood in the centre of the bowl, back to back, staring up into the sky. Inuyasha was holding a rusty old sword but seemed unharmed, only it's transformation reversed like I had done the same when Sesshoumaru had been attacking him last.. Koga on the other hand.. seemed pretty beat up.. He was cut up and bleeding in numerous places.. A giant rustled around me and then suddenly a strong vacuum started sucking everything out..

The yokai corpses and the rocks beneath me flew up into the air and we were all caught in a tangle of mess and chaos. Tears were drawn from my eyes as my stomach did flip-flops, as my head now pounded harder.. the pressure unbreakable.. The mountain bowl rumbled like thunder and the air rushing past scorched my face with its freezing burns.

"Kaori!" Inuyasha's voice rang in my ears and a warm arm gripped itself around my body, "Are you okay?"

"My name.. is Kagome..!" I opened my eyes and found a pair of crimson ones staring back at me. Suddenly sound was gone.. everything was gone.. all I could hear was my heart thundering inside my chest and my frantic thoughts.. Hoping.. Praying.. that Naraku had not heard Inuyasha call me Kaori.

His face looked angry but not surprised.. uninterested. I hoped that meant he'd been deaf to Inuyasha's stupidity.

"So it was you!" The undead, injured oni yokai growled as we came closer and closer to the full bodied man.. I didn't understand. Shouldn't he have been blown apart from Kikyo's arrow? "I'll rip you apart!"

The youkai swung a giant hand, slashing through the clothes that covered Naraku's body. There'd been nothing under there.. just the head and top half of the torso that had remained from the other day.

I felt Inuyasha's arms grasp tighter around my waist and he leaped away from the tangle of yokai. It flew and then crashed right into Naraku in an explosion of light and then suddenly disappeared.. All that was left was a naked human body.. attached to Naraku's head.

As my feet touched the ground I pulled Inuyasha's kimono further down my face and sensed Koga's presence. I felt a wave of relief wash over me. At least he hadn't turned into Naraku..

"Naraku!" I heard my own voice shout and I glanced over my shoulder. There was me but as a hanyo... I noticed Miroku and Sango flying toward us on Kirara's back in the air. I panicked when I noticed no Shippo but then.. took a closer look at the hanyo me wearing the same black jeans and bright red and blue t-shirt as I. Instead of a black tail she had a pale orange one.. but it was carefully hidden with a black sweater tied around her waist. I sighed in relief. Shippo was just a god.

Sango tossed the boomerang over her head toward the naked man before us, but a bright red bubble flashed out of invisiblity for a split second and deflected the bone instrument to the ground.

"Heh.. you bastards.." Naraku chuckled. Inuyasha and Koga moved in front of me, so close that I wondered if it were even possible to see me.. Shippo ran to my side still transformed as hanyo me, but was trembling slightly and crouched into a more aggressive stance. I exhaled.. Wow.. just for the sake of my safety.. Inuyasha didn't attack, Koga stood shoulder to shoulder with him, who he hated, and Shippo was pretending to be me.. little agressive me, although I could feel how extremely terrified he was on the front lines.

I looked to the sky and a hope filled my system.. the sun.. was almost up..

"It seems you were affected by the evil in the mountain and got mixed up with my seal in the hole."

I noticed Inuyasha glance away then suddenly gasp, "Kikyo!"

I felt as he made a move to run, but suddenly my own hand shot out and I grabbed the back of his white shirt preventing him from leaving.

"So, this woman broke the seal from inside," Naraku mumbled, his voice sounded extremely amused.

The wind blew and I watched as a bright blue strand of hair floated into my line of sight.

"Meaning that it's thanks to this woman, that I, Naraku, can safely get my hands on a new body."

Shippo and I traded spots so quickly nobody noticed. He was suddenly a brunette girl hiding under Inuyasha's kimono and I was suddenly the one ready to attack. I pulled out of the crouch and pushed past the others, a wave of irritation fueling my every movement. It was his fault my head pounded. His fault for everything.

"Idiot! Onee-san didn't do it for you!" I shouted ignoring the black spots reappearing in my vision, "If she hadn't Inuyasha, would have died!"

Naraku's eyes narrowed and from the corner of my own I noticed human me, running to Miroku and Sango, hiding her face carefully with the red fabric. I was relieved when Naraku paid no attention to this as I had, and he held my unconscious sister in his arms, "It seems this woman really is.. the Kikyo who died following Inuyasha fifty years ago.."

"You bastard!" Inuyasha burst running past me, his claws flexed, "Don't touch Kikyo with your filthy hands!"

I yelped and my arms reached out around his neck. A cloud of miasma burst from Naraku's body and I yanked him back. He wasn't going to get himself killed.. Just because of this..

Naraku disappeared into the sky, his voice still echoing around us, "What a shame.. you couldn't get Kikyo's powers for yourself."

"No, Kikyo!" Inuyasha ran ahead, pushing me back onto my bottom. I slid scraping my hands and lower back against the ground and bit my lip as Koga ran to me, throwing his arm over my shoulder. That horrible of rejection chilled my blood and I sat there, my body shaking, in jealousy and misery.. Inuyasha you idiot..


	25. Illusionary Death

A/N ~ (19/10/2010): Dates: november 14

* * *

**You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.**

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I Do Not Own Inuyasha

* * *

25. Illusionary Death

We still stood on the same mountain even though it had been hours since Naraku had left with Kikyo. Miroku, Sango, and Shippo sat a few feet away on a rock that had the snow brushed off, in front of a small fire enjoying a bowl of ramen each and a cup of hot chocolate. Kirara sat beside the kitsune kit, devouring a can of wet cat food. She seemed to enjoy it. I'd been distracted all this time and forgot how much food I had in my backpack from my era, but now, at least, I was glad I could finally share it with them.

"Are you sure, Kaori?" Koga asked me, his bright blue eyes staring at me with great concern.

I nodded as I finished bandaging up his right arm, "Yes. You should go. Naraku isn't one you want to get mixed up with."

"You guys are mixed up with him."

"Yes but that's because he's _done_ thing to us. He hasn't done anything to you and I'd like to keep it that way."

"What about mutt face? I don't think he's able to protect you."

"Mutt fac- I mean Inuyasha is fine," I glanced over my shoulder toward the hanyo and suppressed a sigh. He was sitting with his back to us, his ears droopy and miserable. Well.. fine in a sense.. "and I'm able to protect myself, you know. I'm part yokai now."

He thought that over and scratched the back of his head. I pressed my lips together and glanced over at Inuyasha again, wondering how long he'd sit and mope about Kikyo.. Our eyes met and he snapped his head back to where it was before. I guess that means he's done moping if he's remembered Koga's here.

The wolf boy got to his feet and I followed, "Well I guess I'll be going then but.." Koga reached into a pocket I never knew existed and pulled out a shiny silver object. He threw the shiny around my neck and I reached up to feel the chain and pendant. It was a pewter ring with a wolf howling up at a full moon in the centre of it. I stared at it. It was so shiny, glistening in the sun; so detailed and carefully crafted.. No one had ever given me anything this nice..

"Wow.." I gasped.. "I love it, thank you."

A slight tinge of pink touched Koga's cheeks and he smiled, "I found the metal and made it myself. It's not much but.. There's an enchantment on it too. So no matter where you are I can find you."

No more tricks from Inuyasha then. I smiled and nodded. I really did love it.

"Oh.. also.." he placed a hand over the shard in his arm and then a he placed it in my hand, "You need this more than I do."

Suddenly I felt another presence behind me and a shiver ran down my spine. I turned around.. and Inuyasha stood, absolutely seething in anger. I could hear his heart beating loudly in his chest and my instincts were telling me to run for my. Oh dear..

"Who the hell said you could give her stuff!" Inuyasha growled.

"I did! I'm aloud to give Kaori anything I want to!"

"You bastard.. I'll make it so you wont be able to come wandering after her baring gifts ever again!" Tetsusaiga was out and swung towards the wolf yokai. I dropped to the floor and Koga leaped over the blade easily.

"Heh, what are you so pissed off about, albino," Koga scoffed, "Kaori, you know, would be happier if she came along with me, compared to a weakling like you."

"You think you're stronger than me? Even after your all banged up and I haven't even got a scratch!"

"Either way," Koga continued, "She'd still be happier._ I'm _not the one who makes her cry or run away."

Inuyasha froze as Koga's remark hit below the belt. Okay, this was getting too out of hand. I jumped between then, pushing against Koga, furthering the distance between them, "Koga I think you should go now. We still have to go save some things and such."

Koga went to protest but I growled, "If you don't leave now I'll never speak to either of you ever again and I'll marry Miroku! So there!"

A few moments later Koga was nothing but a whirlwind on the horizon. I sighed, dropping our only shikon shard into my pocket and turned back to Inuyasha who'd gone back to his moping spot. I sat down beside him, "Inuyasha.. What's a matter?"

"Nothing is 'a matter'," he growled.

"Okay... so.. then lets go save Kikyo.."

He tensed and I felt the mood around him go from furious to sadness. Well.. at least I fixed his jealousy..

"You lot just stay here," he demanded, obviously still aggravated, "I'll go alone."

All of a sudden Miroku's sandal and foot came down on Inuyasha's head, pushing his nose into the snow, "Stop screwing around you jerk."

"It was Naraku who took off with Kikyo." Sango reminded him.

I sighed. I didn't know if I was happy that we were back on track or upset that now Inuyasha's head would fill up with thoughts of her once more.. I kind of enjoyed his jealousy but.. this is more important I guess.

"Right, it's not just your problem Inuyasha," Miroku agreed.

I inhaled slowly, forcing back some of my own misery, "Inuyasha don't just run off by yourself because you're upset with me. I care about her too so of course we have to save her. So don't be so.. ugh.. sneaky."

"'Sneaky'?, now just wait a minute what abut you and Koga! What were you guys doing? While I wasn't around! Probably something inapproprat-"

"OSUWARI!"

"That's enough you two!" Miroku cut in, "Our guides have arrived."

I turned around and looked to the sky. Saimyoushou.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

They cut through the forest, their feet kicking up snow as they ran. Kirara's powers melted the snow under her and Kaori sighed. sitting behind Sango as Inuyasha cursed under his breath once more.

"Kaori-chan.." Sango glanced over her shoulder, "Shouldn't you be running with Inuyasha like normal?"

"No.." Kaori answered. Because.. after that stupid remark she would have gone home.. and besides. She thought. Inuaysha's head was full with thoughts of Kikyo. There was no room for her in there.

Inuyasha ran faster, ignoring the girl's small chat behind him. That didn't matter right now. Nothing did.. Kikyo had died because of Naraku. He especially wouldn't let Naraku have her.

Suddenly the pale green flying soul collectors joined them at their sides each bearing a silvery wisp.

"She must be close," Kaori murmured, reaching out to touch one of them. It felt smooth and cold beneath her fingers.. They flew ahead, almost reaching the purple and yellow bees, as they disappear into a thick mist.

"That up ahead is probably Naraku's trap," Miroku shouted, "Don't be careless Inuyasha."

"I know!" Inuyasha snapped. He leaped ahead throwing himself into the fog. He stopped as all he could see and hear was white. No Miroku, no Sango, Shippo, Kirara. No Kaori. Just whiteness, just the thick mist that clouded his vision.

All of a sudden a soft crackling sound pierced the silence and Inuyasha whipped around to face it. It was fire. He raced forward. Was this where Kikyo was? As he got closer a village set aflame appeared. The heat was almost unbearable and he walked through it, searching for some kind of answer. The flames crackled and roared up to the giant full moon burning everything in sight. Something seemed familiar about this..

"There he is!" someone shouted, "It's Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha turned at the sound of his name. Wounded villagers stalked toward him, bearing broken spears and swords, "That guy.. stole the shikon no tama and attacked the village!"

Suddenly something small and round jangled in his hand and he looked. In his claws was the jewel in it's original form. Beaded necklace and all.. swirling darker than he'd ever seen it before.

"Inuyasha!"

He whipped around again, instantly recognizing that voice. Kikyo..! She stood a few feet away her face full of sweat and blood. He noticed she held an empty bow and listened against the glare of the fire as a sharp arrow came flying towards him. This was fifty years ago. The day he was killed..! As he backed up against a tree, as the arrow pierced his heart, he listened.. for something that never came. He'd returned to that day.. that time.. but there was something missing..

Inuyasha watched as Kikyo staggered toward him, holding her injured arm and looked down at his own body expecting something to be there that wasn't. He didn't understand.

"Inuyasha.." Kikyo whispered, falling to her knees to take the jewel from the ground, "This shikon no tama.. because of such a thing.. you betrayed me.." A single solitary tear ran down her face.

You're wrong Kikyo. Inuyasha cried from his thoughts unable to speak anymore. Both of us have been caught up in Naraku's trap. I haven't betrayed you!

"I have been a damn fool to think, for just a moment that I had ever wanted to be with you," the miko cried. She staggered to her feet and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his slowly dying body.. "But... I won't.. let you die by yourself."

Inuyasha closed his eyes, remembering how she'd died after him. Accepting as the flames slowly crawled along the ground, devouring the grass and flowers at his feet. They would go together.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

Miroku walked through the mist, glancing quickly around him. Where were the others? He wondered.

A soft hiss of wind brought his attention to his right arm. He raised it and stared at the beads keeping back his Kazanna curiously. What was this sound? The hissing grew, worse and worse, louder and louder until.. Suddenly the kazana opened sucking and pulling everything in. Miroku gasped and yanked his hand away from his face trying to throw the beads around it.. but they were already on.

He was going to be sucked in! He was going to die.

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

Sango stepped into a clearing as the mist dissipated and gasped. Blood was everywhere, covering and dripping from almost every surface. Kaori lay her eyes closed in a pool of her own blood. Her pale skin glistened with sweat and tears and her strange modern clothng were slashed in many places where bright red gashes exposed themselves.

Miroku lay on his back his dark blue eyes half open, blood seeping from a wound in his stomach and wrists.

Inuyasha was propped up against a tree a long thick gash creeping from his left shouter right up to the corner of his eye and even along the tree behind him.

Shippo and Kirara were no where to be seen.

Tears welled up in Sango's eyes. But suddenly a sharp excruciating pain erupted from the centre of her back, sending flashes of memory over her eyes. This was.. so similar.. She collapsed on all fours and turned around, her breathing coming out in short laboured breaths as blood dribbled down her sides.

Her eyes landed on a short male figure and she gasped. Kohaku!

"Thank you anu-ue," he said, stepping toward her, "You always protected my life, anu-ue. Thanks to that.. As Naraku-sama ordered I could finish everyone off," he raised his chain blade, "Go to the after world soon.. "

The blade made two new gashes across her chest.. and Sango fell to the ground, tears spilling from her eyes, "Kohaku.."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

Kaori stood on the edge of a cliff, the wind tossing raven tendrils of hair around her face. She would do it now. No more waiting. No one was here to stop her, no one would stop her. If she couldn't have Airi then what was the point of living? Living in this life were she'd been betrayed, where her daughter called another woman 'mother', where the man she loved had changed his entire being for someone else.. It wasn't worth it. No one needed her here..

She stepped off the cliff and welcomed the numbing sensation as she watched the ground come speeding towards her. No one.. no one..

Suddenly a flash of red appeared before her eyes and when she blinked, the ground was white and bright blue hair fell over her shoulders brushing the snow. Kaori tried to move but something had wrapped itself around her body. Thick.. brown vines had raised her above the ground. She looked like she was suspended in a falling position.

She growled as she struggled to pull herself free and her katana's flashed red once more and the vines broke apart. Her hands fell into the snow and sent shivers down her spine. So that was it? The vines..? Naraku's trap? Kaori felt a weakness in her chest as she pulled herself to her feet. What would have happened if her swords hadn't woken her up? Would.. when she had hit the ground in her dream.. would she have died? Died an illusionary death.. yeah that's _exactly_ how she wanted to go.

Kaori stalked through the trees, pulling out and slashing though any vines with her katanas as she seen them. What a dirty trick. A horrible cowardly trap to have fallen into. Using.. any kinda of weakness in their hearts to capture them and send them to oblivion. Ugh..

She looked up and came face to face with a giant tree. The tree's trunk was short and stumpy but the branches grew out wide and reached high above any other tree in this forest. In the middle of it.. sat Naraku and Kikyo, unconscious.. or even dead? Kaori ran behind a bush and quietly transformed a bow and arrow. It hadn't looked like he'd noticed her. She'd have to act now.

She leaped out of the bush and let the arrow fly. It struck the yokai and his baboon pelt burst into pieces. The head laughed.

"Kukuku, nice to see you again Kaori. I knew you'd be the only one to make it this far."

Kaori blinked. Her arrow.. didn't hurt him like last time.. The ground started to rumble and shake and in a moment it broke apart. Kaori gasped as she fell and reached out for the vines that reached down into the abyss. At the bottom was a sea of miasma. She wouldn't die.. not in a dream death, not by miasma. Never..

"Inuyasha!" she screamed. Kaori kicked off her black sneakers, trying to use the claws on her feet to boost herself back up.. but the wall was impossible to climb.

"Kukuku.." Naraku's head crackled, "He won't come. Inuyasha and the others have their souls caught up in the Illusionary Death and are about to go to their deaths."

Kaori didn't care and screamed his name once more. The sounds of footsteps filled her heart with hope and she raised her head to look up. Kikyo peered down at her.

Kikyo chuckled holding up a little wooden doll, "Heh, using puppets like this... Naraku certainly did not want to get close to you," she broke apart the doll in her fist and Kaori's face flushed.

"You can move?"

"Had I wished to do so," Kikyo explained, making no move to save her, "I could have moved at any time.. however I decided to try to establish what Naraku was up to. At any rate, for Naraku was well.. you, little sister, seem to be the greatest obstacle."

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

Fire now licked at Inuyasha's cheeks but he made no move to save himself. If he has just trusted Kikyo then.. then maybe none of this would have happened. They could have lived together.. but.. when her arrow had pierced through him.. he'd became alone again.. Completely alone.

"Inuyasha!" A little girl screamed, "Nii-Chan, wake up! Wake up Inuyasha-Onii-Chan! You can't be.. You've gotta wake up!"

Inuyasha opened his eyes to see a little brown haired girl burring her face into his leg, little tears streaming down her face. The little girl looked up at him with watery green eyes.

"Inuyasha.." Suddenly she turned around and a short young woman with bright blue hair and black dog ears and a fluffy tail walked through the fading flames. She still stared at him, the dark green speckles in her aquamarine eyes revealing the human side of her, and took the hand of the little girl, "You're not alone anymore, remember?"

"Kaori.."

That was right.. even though Kikyo had killed him.. even though they had betrayed each other.. Kaori had always been there. Ever since she'd first lay those wide curious eyes on him that day he hadn't been alone..

A loud rumbling shook the ground and the older and little Kaori snapped their heads to the left. The present Kaori reached down and pulled her child equivalent into her arms and leaped into the flames. A wave of panic struck Inuyasha. Wait.. that was impossible. Both Kaori's been here in the same moment.. He blinked and the flamed disappeared into mist. That was right.. this was the middle of Naraku's trap.

Where was Kaori?

"Inuyasha.." Kikyo hissed, gripping onto his kimono with all her strength. Her skin was suddenly green and brown, looking as if it were made of wood, "You want to carry on living?"

"Kikyo.." he strained against her, little beads of sweat appearing on his face. When he had first met Kaori he'd gained something he never really thought existed.. love.. and then.. after the betrayal.. She worked hard everyday to bring back and then repair the lost broken heart. Even though there were days when she ran away.. she always came back and filled his life with so much happiness that anything and everything was forgiven.. he never blamed her for leaving that one time.. Never..

"There is no way.. I could let Kaori die here," he grabbed Kikyo's shoulders and yanked her off him, "Maybe someday I'll be with you! But now is not that time!"

Her face twisted into a look of pure evil and malice.. and her body turned to wood and vines and she was gone. The flames disappeared and faded to mist and there was nothing. It all had just been an illusion.

"Damnit!" he cursed ripping through the vines. He searched around him and caught sight of Miroku wrapped up in them as well.

Inuyasha freed the monk from the vines a second later and the monk fell to the ground screaming, "My arm!"

He grabbed the human's body and shook him, "Miroku wake up! Your arm is fine!"

Miroku blinked and gasped, sweat dripping down his face, "My.. the kazana was.. sucking up my body.."

"Miroku go find Sango," Inuyasha growled, helping him up, "She should also be tangled up in the vines."

Where was Kaori?

* * *

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

* * *

I stared up at my sister, her long raven locks falling just out of reach. Her indifferent attitude scared me. Why didn't she help? My feet were bare and scratching against the cliff, my shoes already dissolved into the toxic poison below. I would die.. unless she did something. The pale green flying snakes coiled around her then slunk off her figure toward me. I cringed against their cold scaly bodies until I realized they were lifting me up. I watched as the miasma grew distant and my tail and ears flicked as I was suspended in mid air.

Kikyo stood up and watched me, her pale face disapproving. She reached out a hand and I felt her fingers in the pocket with Koga's shikon shard. I gasped and started to struggle, "Hey! That's mine!"

"The shikon no tama was originally purified by me," she said, her voice unemotional, yet it sent a chill through my body, "Midoriko's daughter or not, it is not for the likes of impure hanyos such as yourself."

A pang hit my chest and pain throbbed through my body. Why..? Ebony bangs fell over her eyes and as she whispered the soul collectors glided away from my body, "I've had enough of the lot of you.."

The air rushed past me and any screams I might have held back burst through my lips. I was going to die.. at Kikyo's hand.

"Kaori!" All of a sudden warm arms wrapped around my body and I felt my feet touch solid ground. I collapsed to all fours at Inuyasha's feet and tried to hold back the sudden wave of tears.

"Inuyasha.." I gasped.

He dropped to his knees and pulled my hands away from my face, "You're not hurt are you?"

"Kik-Kikyo.." I stuttered, staring up at him.. begging for some kind of realization to hit those amber eyes, "Was trying to.."

"I just took the shikon fragment," Kikyo cut in, holding up the small pink shard to her chest.

"Kikyo you.." Inuyasha trailed off, looking from me to her. I could see my own face in the reflection of his eyes. I looked terrified.

"Because she had this thing.. Kaori's life was being targeted," Kikyo lied. The tears became harder to hold back, "Presumably Naraku intended to dissolve Kaori's body.. and get hold of the shikon fragment."

Her pale snake like monsters coiled around her body again and lifted her away. Inuyasha let go of me and jumped to his feet, staring after her again, "Kikyo where are you going?"

Silence was her reply.

I felt something wet trickle down my face and I wiped it away furiously. How dare you cry Kaori!

"Kaori.." Inuyasha said turning towards me again, "Something didn't happen between you and Kikyo did it?"

"She.. stole Koga's shard.. I'm sorry!" I squeaked.

"I'm not asking about that!" Inuyasha shouted, "She wasn't.. trying to kill you was she?"

I stared at the ground. Why wasn't I telling..? Would he believe me..? I glanced up at him. His face was flushed and glistened with sweat so silver strands stuck to his face. His gold eyes were searching, looking for truth, looking for answers. I looked away. I couldn't tell him.. even I didn't believe it.

"You.. still love Kikyo, don't you?" I asked, trying to change the subject. What was I asking..? It was obvious. I knew the answer to this.. but.. I just wanted to hear him say it.

"What are you saying at a time like this?" he practically shouting, sounding defensive.

"Why are you getting all emotional about it?" I replied.

"St.. stupid idiot!" he stuttered, "It's because I remembered about you that I came rushing over here like this!"

"So then you forgot about me..?"

He grabbed my hands and held them in his own. Fire rushed to my cheeks and I stared at our hands.. They fit too perfectly.. "Shut up, Kaori. You don't know what you're talking about. Have a bit more confidence in me."

I stared up at him, and then down, "I do.. it's just.."

I heard someone clear their throat and Inuyasha dropped my hands in an instant. Miroku stood on the other side of the abyss. Sango, her boomerang, Kirara and Shippo all riding on his back, "Are you finished with you're conversation?"


End file.
